


Think Of Me Fondly

by VulpixSinistre



Category: H.I.V.E. Series - Mark Walden
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 20,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23130514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpixSinistre/pseuds/VulpixSinistre
Summary: AU where the Contessa left H.I.V.E. after her daughter's death to take care of Lucy. A collection of drabbles and short little stories, in no particular order, about the two learning to get along and be a family!
Comments: 51
Kudos: 11





	1. You Had A Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> From a drabble prompt list on Tumblr, #136. “You had a nightmare, tell me what it was about so I can fix it.”

Lucy awoke with a jolt, heart racing from the awfully realistic dream. Her fear didn’t immediately dissipate as she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings, before remembering that this was her new home. Too upset to fall back asleep, she stepped out of bed and made her way through the vast estate to the kitchen for a late-night snack. Creeping through room after room, she finally opened the door to the dining room and-

  
“Lucia?” Lucy jumped in surprise and turned to see her grandmother sitting at the dining table, leaned forward with a cup of tea and stack of papers in front of her. It appeared that she couldn’t sleep either and had opted to finish whatever latest scheme she was working on. Her hair was down, in a long braid laying over her right shoulder; she looked less threatening, but still cold and dangerous. “What are you doing up?”

  
“I had a bad dream, I just came down to grab a snack” Lucy quickly replied, wanting to hurry out of there.

  
“Tell me.” With her words met with a blank stare, the Contessa gestured for the younger girl to sit and reiterated, “You had a nightmare, tell me what it was about so I can fix it.”

  
Lucy stayed standing and hesitated for a moment before she began. “It was about my mother. About… when she died.” There was silence between the two for a long moment. Feeling bold, she continued in a slightly harsher tone. “How are you going to fix that?”

  
There was another long pause before the Contessa whispered, so quiet that Lucy almost couldn’t hear. “I can’t. I wish I could.”


	2. Drabble 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a drabble prompt list on Tumblr, #5. “You haven’t even touched your food. What’s going on?”

It had been four months now since the Contessa had moved back to Italy to be with her granddaughter, and conversations between the two still hadn’t gotten any less awkward. Lucy didn’t seem to be adjusting well, unsurprisingly, and the Contessa was once again realizing she wasn’t good with children. As a teacher, yes, but as a mother, no. _Not as a grandmother either_ , she thought with perhaps a twinge of regret. Noticing Lucy sitting sadly across from her, fork tapping absentmindedly on the dinner table, she attempted a caring demeanor.

“Lucia. You haven’t even touched your food. What’s going on?”

Lucy scrunched up her nose in annoyance, either at the formal name, the question, or both. “Nothing. I’m fine.” She responded at last.


	3. Tell Me About (Y)our Family

Lucy stared at her grandmother sitting on the couch opposite her. Apparently, this was supposed to be ‘bonding time.’ A quick “hello, how have you been today” did not yield much discussion, as Lucy really only had one thing to do each day (lessons with the private tutor, they’re going fine) and the Contessa seemed unwilling or unable to elaborate on whatever she had been locked in her office all day doing (communications with her previous employer, it’s really none of your concern darling). The conversation fizzled out quickly after that, and the two ladies now sat quietly, reading and sipping lemonade.

It was difficult sometimes for Lucy not to feel intimidated or suspicious of the woman in front of her. After everything her mother had told her about the Contessa, it was only natural to be wary of her. On the other hand, it truly did appear that her grandmother had been making some sort of effort to be closer to her, and she was likely the only family Lucy had left. With this in mind, Lucy decided it was only fair to try to meet halfway, and finally broke the silence.

“Tell me about my grandfather.”

The Contessa choked on her drink. “I’d rather not,” she sputtered out after a moment.

“Oh. Well, tell me about your parents then.”

Regaining her composure, the older woman coolly replied, “There isn’t much to say.”

“What about all those people in the pictures around the house? You must have siblings or cousins or something.” Lucy started to sound a bit annoyed. The only response she received was a noncommittal grunt. She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

After a few moments had passed, Lucy glanced up and noticed that her grandmother had closed her book and was looking at her with a small smile.

“Perhaps… you could tell me about _your_ family.”

Lucy looked confused for a moment, then brightened up. “Oh! Okay. My dad passed away when I was young, but I’ll always remember that one time when he- “

Listening to her granddaughter recount story after story of her parents, the Contessa smiled and thought, _I’m going to make her so proud of me that one day she’ll talk about me like that_.


	4. Beans?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @thechunkiestfunkiest on Tumblr gave me the prompt "beans." So here it is, and thanks again for the suggestion! :)

Back home – real home, in England, not this empty and expansive Sinistre estate – Lucy and her mother handled everything themselves. Cleaning, laundry, gardening, and especially the cooking. She had many happy memories of the two of them in their cozy kitchen, laughing and trying out new recipes. They weren’t rich by any means, but they had what they needed to get by comfortably. It was these two facts, Lucy decided, that made her slightly uncomfortable with the array of employees her grandmother had hired. Maids, chefs, caretakers, assistants - Lucy didn’t have to do a thing herself. While this sounded nice for a while, she soon wished she had more responsibilities simply so she would have something more to do. Besides studying her lessons, reading, and wandering around the mansion, there really wasn’t anything to do. Yes, she could go outside and walk around the grounds (accompanied by guards), but she wasn’t allowed to leave the property. And sure, she could technically ask her grandmother for anything she wanted, but she expected that would end in either a lecture on wasting time with frivolous activities, or desperate attempts to buy her love, neither of which she wanted to go through right now.

And so, Lucy declared that she would be preparing dinner that evening. “Send the chef home for today. I can handle it all by myself. It’ll be fun.”

The Contessa raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, if you insist.”

“I’ll even make some for you too.”

She turned so Lucy wouldn’t see her smiling. “Fine, go ahead.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Beans. Just beans. Lucy stared helplessly in the pantry as she realized the only thing she knew how to make was beans. That was practically all that was left, as the next grocery delivery was set for tomorrow morning. There were other ingredients that the cook had set aside for… something, but Lucy couldn’t even venture a guess at what. “I can’t just make beans,” she mumbled to herself. “There’s got to be something else… Okay, I’ll start cooking these and then keep looking after. It’s fine, I have time.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Lucia? Is everything alright in there?” It had been about twenty minutes past the time they usually ate dinner, and Lucy still hadn’t emerged from the kitchen. Right as the Contessa was about to go in and check on her, Lucy wordlessly opened the door, marched over to the table, set the plates down, and sat in her usual spot. “Oh. Beans?”

“…Yes.”

“Anything else?”

“…No.”

“Just beans?”

“…Just beans.”

“Ah. Well.” The Contessa cleared her throat. “Perhaps, if you’d like, I can assist you with the cooking one night. We can find something else to make together. In addition to beans.” She offered a small smile which Lucy returned.

“That sounds nice, I’d like that a lot.”


	5. Drabble 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr drabble prompt list #80. “There’s a surprise upstairs for you.”

“It looks like you’re doing very well with your lessons, Lucia,” the Contessa said, pleased. “You’ve adjusted to the tutors then, I take it?”

“I’d still prefer to be in an actual school, with people my age, but I suppose I’m used to this now,” Lucy answered with a shrug.

“Well at any rate, you’re doing fine. There’s a surprise upstairs for you. A reward for your hard work. Dismissed.”

Lucy was curious, and a bit worried. A surprise from her villainous grandmother may very well be some sort of weapon, after all. Opening the door to her room, she was surprised to see a simple cardboard box with a note attached. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted her mother’s name written on the side. The note, in her grandmother’s proper handwriting, said: _Found this in the attic yesterday, thought you’d like to see it._ Sprawled out on the bed and looking through her mother’s old belongings, tracing her fingers over old photographs and flipping through letters, Lucy felt the happiest she had in a while.


	6. How Do You Do, Fellow Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @theanomily on Tumblr gave me the excellent prompt that the Contessa is desperate to get Lucy to like her, and so she starts doing "cool" things. I might do more with this at some point, I love this idea so much. Thanks!!! (Also, these might not exactly be "cool" things, as I myself am not very "cool" lol, I went more with popular things)

In all her long career of villainy, the Contessa never needed to care about being liked. As long as someone in her profession is feared, then even being respected doesn’t matter much. Even if someone showed a clear loathing for her, it never bothered her in the slightest. Until now, that is.

Lucy didn’t like her. Lucy didn’t enjoy talking to her. In fact, Lucy seemed uncomfortable just being in the same room as her.

At first, the Contessa was at a loss of what to do. After all these years of commanding fear and building her cold persona, she didn’t understand how to act like those normal, ‘fun’ people Lucy seemed to connect with. She could put on a mask, of course; she did every time she welcomed new students to H.I.V.E. Upbeat, welcoming, that ‘delighted to meet you all!’ attitude coupled with a bright, beaming grin. Fake, of course, and Lucy saw through it right away. This bothered the Contessa more than she initially realized, and so finally she hatched a desperate plan: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

_It should be simple enough to figure out what the youths like_ , she thought with confidence while ordering her driver to take her to the nearest shopping mall, _and then all I have to do is become familiar with it and show her just how likable I can be!_

~~~~~~~

The Contessa swore loudly and slammed the game console onto the desk, causing the maid pouring her a cup of coffee to flinch.

“Ma’am, is everything alright?”

“No! I don’t understand these video games! I can’t win any races because this dinosaur keeps throwing shells at me! Where is he getting all those shells from?! And this block game is far too complicated, there aren’t any instructions, and these green creatures keep blowing me up! Don’t even get me started on this animal town game; if these fools really want a bridge built, then they should be providing much more of the funds for it!” She glanced up and noticed the strange look the maid was giving her. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward. “You are going to leave this room and _forget everything you just heard,_ do you understand?” 

It was as if multiple voices were whispering at once, and the maid staggered back with a dazed look in her eyes. “Yes Contessa, I understand.”

“Good. Now get out of here so I can read this vampire book.”

~~~~~~~

Dinner that night was odd, to say the least. Lucy sat in confusion, trying to figure out why her grandmother was behaving very strangely. It started with “Hello Lucia, what do you think of that new Beyoncé song?” and then continued with a barrage of movie and pop culture references, quite a few which she didn’t even recognize.

“Those Minions are certainly something, aren’t they? If you’d like, we could watch that film tonig- “

“Why are you doing this?” Lucy interrupted.

“Doing what?”

“Talking like this. Saying all these ridiculous things!”

The Contessa’s face fell ever so slightly. “Well I thought… I heard that these were all popular these days. I thought they would interest you. I’m capable of talking about more than evil, you know.”

“So, what, you were trying to be cool?” Lucy asked, amusement clear in her voice. Her grandmother averted her eyes and didn’t answer. “You know, you could just ask me what I like.”

“I suppose I didn’t think of that.”

Lucy realized that, while there was still much about her grandmother to be wary about, this attempt at being friendly showed that the older woman had some kindness deep down inside, and genuinely made Lucy happy. So, she decided to keep talking. “Then for starters, let me tell you about my favorite TV show. It’s _so_ funny.”

The two spent the next while engaged in surprisingly pleasant conversation. It felt normal, something neither of them had experienced in a while.

“This evening turned out rather nice after all, didn’t it?” the Contessa commented with a half-smile.

“It wasn’t half bad,” Lucy admitted, raising her glass to her mouth to take a sip. “And I do appreciate you trying to connect with me.”

“I’m just glad I didn’t dab. I was thinking about it.”

Lucy spit her drink onto the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contessa mains Rosalina in Mario Kart, Lucy is Toadette. Personally, I'm Daisy.


	7. Happy Birthday, Mum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @spocks-evil-godmother gave me some fabulous prompts!!! One of which was "Lucy's mom's first birthday after her death." I love all those prompts and cannot wait to try the others!! Thank you!!!

Moving to Italy under the care of her grandmother was a tough adjustment for Lucy. The loss of her mother was hard enough, and now here she was, thrust into a new country with a woman she had just met (and who, according to her mother, was not a very good person). Days and weeks seemed to go by in a blur as Lucy tried to get accustomed to her new reality. One day, as she glanced at the calendar and marveled at how much time had passed since leaving England, she realized with a jolt that her mother’s birthday was the next week. The first since her death. A fresh wave of sadness washed over Lucy.

Birthdays in the Dexter household were always important, joyous celebrations; they’d hang streamers, her mother would tie balloons all around the house, whoever’s birthday it was got to pick what activities to do that day and what kind of cake to have. Birthdays were about spending time together. _Last year, mum and I went to the zoo and then had red velvet cake_ , Lucy recalled with a sad smile. _I wonder if grandmother’s going to do anything for it next week._

However, Lucy could only conclude that the Contessa had forgotten, as the older woman had tersely announced the very next day that she had business to attend to out of town and would return in about two weeks’ time. Lucy had simply nodded, not knowing how to bring up the subject. After all, what would that change? What could her grandmother possibly do to make her feel better? Nothing could ever be the same again.

The next week, Lucy went into what had used to be her mother’s bedroom. She had sat there many times before already, trying to imagine what it must have been like to grow up here. Not much had been changed in this room, apparently, like the furniture or paintings. The walls were still a pretty shade of lavender, her mom’s favorite color. Out of all the rooms in the estate, this was the one she felt the most comfort in. She sprawled out on the bed and set her favorite picture of her mother on the nightstand; it was of her in their little garden, planting zinnias, looking up at the camera with a bright smile and one flower tucked behind her ear.

“Happy birthday, Mum,” Lucy whispered to the picture as her eyes filled with tears. The full weight of never seeing her mother again crashed down all at once, and she couldn’t stop from herself from sobbing until she finally fell asleep.

~~~~~~~

As her mother’s second birthday after her death approached, Lucy had made up her mind that she would get her grandmother to acknowledge it. She had rehearsed what to say, gathered her courage, and marched into the room.

“I have something important to talk about,” she declared.

“What is it,” came the curt response.

Lucy flinched. The Contessa had been in a bad mood these last few days for some reason, but Lucy didn’t let this hold her back.

“Mum’s birthday is this Thursday.” Her grandmother hadn’t turned around yet and Lucy could see her shoulders tense. “I think we should celebrate. It’s important, you know! It… keeps her with us.”

“Hmm. And what did you have in mind?” Judging by her tone, this wasn’t a welcome conversation.

“Just a few little things that I think she would like.” As Lucy explained, the Contessa relaxed ever so slightly. She cautiously agreed, much to the younger girl’s delight.

Come Thursday, Lucy found herself gleefully decorating her mother’s old room. The pain from the loss hadn’t gone away yet, but it was lessened by this act of celebration, this acknowledgement of her mother’s life. Streamers along the whole room. Balloons on the ceiling, drifting around from the breeze from the open window. A bit of confetti tossed on every surface. A small table had been brought in so they could eat meals there today, along with a delicious looking chocolate cake. As she finished the final touches on the decorations, she heard her grandmother walk in and set something on the table.

“Okay, I think it’s ready!” Lucy excitedly announced as she spun around. “Now we can- oh.” A gorgeous vase of red, yellow, and magenta flowers sat next to the cake.

The Contessa gestured to it awkwardly and cleared her throat. “I thought that maybe she would’ve liked them. They’re- “

“Zinnias! Those were her favorite! She would love them!” Lucy pointed at the photo on the table and grinned. “How did you know?”

“She always liked them, even as a child.” She smiled softly at her daughter’s picture.

“They’re beautiful, thank you.” Lucy rubbed a petal between her fingers, feeling simultaneously sad and joyful. “Happy birthday, Mum.”

~~~~~~~

The next year, it was actually the Contessa to be the first one to bring up her daughter’s birthday.

“I have something planned this year. We’ll be gone for the day, so pack anything you think you’ll need.”

Lucy was pleasantly surprised. “Oh? Where are we driving to?”

“Driving? Oh no dear, we’re taking a private jet.”

She began to suspect she knew where they were going, and found herself hoping she was right while on the plane. When they landed in a familiar English city, it felt like there were butterflies in her stomach.

“We’re going to visit her, aren’t we?” Lucy whispered.

“That’s right.”

The two ladies walked into the cemetery alone, the guards waiting nearby, and stopped in front of a familiar name.

**_Olivia Giovanna Dexter_ **

“Hi, mum. Wow. I… I have so much to tell you.” Lucy inhaled sharply and brushed a few tears from her eyes. “Sorry. I just…” She turned to her grandmother. “I guess I thought I’d be stuck in that house forever. Thank you for bringing me here. You probably would’ve preferred if she’d been buried back in Italy, huh?”

“No, I understand why she wanted this,” the Contessa said sadly, gaze never leaving the gravestone. “Besides, she’s right next to your father this way.”

“I know, but she didn’t even want her maiden name on the stone.”

“I understand that as well. Anyways, didn’t you want to tell her something?”

Lucy glanced over her shoulder. “There’s a florist right across the street, I should have gotten her flowers first. I think I’ll do that now.”

“Take a guard with you.”

Nodding, Lucy started walking off. When she had almost reached the entrance, she realized she had no money on her and turned back. Noticing her grandmother crouched by the grave, she slowed to a halt silently.

“Hello, Olivia. It’s Mama. I apologize for taking so long to come here. I… I apologize for everything actually. I’m sorry. I’m so, _so_ sorry.” The Contessa sounded more pained than Lucy had every heard. “Lucia is here. She’s doing well. I’m trying my best with her, really. You would be so proud of her.” She sighed and mumbled something quietly in Italian, then stood up. Lucy took this moment to step forward to her side and lean against her gently. Her grandmother wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her there.

“Happy birthday, Olivia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The language of flowers. Zinnias can mean multiple things, like affection and remembering someone who is no longer there. Magenta means lasting affection, red can mean familial ties, and yellow is daily remembrance.


	8. A Close Shave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from @spocks-evil-godmother, an awkward little discussion about shaving legs. Thanks!!

“This heat is unbearable!” the Contessa groaned to herself, fanning herself with a sheet of paper. “I swear, it felt cooler in that volcano.” This summer had been exceptionally hot, so much so that today she had forgone her usual floor length black dress for a dark gray one that reached the knees. The villain aesthetic was important, after all; one must always look imposing, no matter the temperature. Sighing, she made her way to the kitchen for a cool drink. “Honestly, I don’t know how I’m supposed to get any plotting done in these conditions.”

Along the way, she spotted her granddaughter in one of the sitting rooms with a textbook, lounging by the open window to catch a breeze. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she wore a light blue tank top and jeans. “Good morning, Lucia. What are you working on?”

“Algebra.” 

“How is it? Are you understanding it well enough?”

“It’s fine, mostly. Polynomials are giving me a hard time, though.” She made a face at the textbook and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Perhaps you should change, dear, it’s far too hot for those long pants.”

Lucy stammered awkwardly, “I. Um. Uh, no, it’s uh, fine. It’s fine.”

The Contessa raised an eyebrow, giving her a well-practiced _what’s really going on here?_ look.

Lucy said nothing and avoided eye contact for as long as possible before finally murmuring, “Mylgsrharynihatit.”

“Er… what was that?”

“Mylegsarehairyandihateit.”

“I’m still not understanding you,” the Contessa said, exasperated.

“My LEGS are HAIRY and I HATE it!” Lucy exclaimed, covering her face with her hands and flopping backwards on the couch. “I hate how it looks, it’s so embarrassing!”

Her grandmother blinked in confusion, unsure of how to handle this sudden burst of emotion. “I don’t quite understand your concern. That’s a very simple fix. Why don’t you just shave them?”

“I don’t know how,” came the quiet reply.

“Oh.” She took a deep breath and sat down. _This is it, the sort of thing you need a parent for. She needs help. Time to step up and do something right._ “Well. Why don’t I show you how?”

Lucy peeked out from behind her hands. “Really?”

“Of course.”

The two made their way to a bathroom where Lucy, now changed into a pair of shorts, sat on the edge of the tub.

“Okay, what do I do?” she asked nervously.

“It’s easy.” The Contessa passed her a can of shaving cream and a razor. “You just have to put that on first, then shave.”

“Right, but how?” Lucy started applying the shaving cream to one leg. “Where do I start? Do I have to do it slow or fast? Up or down? Do I go above the knee?”

 _More questions than I expected_. “Start at the ankle and gently go up. You can if you’d like.”

Lucy slowly moved the razor up her leg, hand slightly shaking. Suddenly she let out a yelp. “I think I’m bleeding!”

“You nicked yourself? That’s fine, it happens.”

“I don’t know about this anymore.” She set down the razor. “What are my other options?”

“Wax them?”

“No! That would hurt!”

“A hair removal cream, perhaps?”

“Sounds weird. Anything else?”

“We could pluck them out one by one with tweezers.”

Lucy jumped. “No way!”

“It was a joke, my dear,” the Contessa smiled.

She thought for a moment, then exhaled loudly. “Fine. Let's try again.”

~~~~~~~

That evening, Lucy was stretched out on the couch watching television. “How’d I do?” she asked, lifting one leg (with a bandage or two) up.

Her grandmother was reading in the chair next to her. “It was an adequate first attempt.”

She nodded and turned back to the TV. For a few minutes the noise from the show was the only sound in the room, until the Contessa hesitantly spoke up.

“How… did I do?”

Lucy gave her a small smile. “You did good. Thanks.”


	9. Everyone Has Their Price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This one isn't really in the same AU as all the others)  
> Prompt from @theanomily on Tumblr: "something really bad happens to Lucy and/ or her mother and the Contessa suddenly has to give them more money than Max gives her, leading to her betrayal."  
> I hope you like it! That prompt is soooo good!!!  
> Also, I'm messing around with the timeline a little bit, for this one I'm pretending Lucy's mom was still alive.

The Contessa gave a sigh of relief as she walked back to her quarters. It had been a long day; between teaching classes, stopping two students from attempting to push each other into the shark tank, supervising their subsequent detention, and then working late on a new project from G.L.O.V.E., she was exhausted. After placing her hand on the wall panel, the doors to her room slid open and she stepped inside. She sunk onto the couch, kicked off her heels, and rested her head back. Not ten seconds had passed before her Blackbox began to beep. With a groan, she flipped it open. “Yes?”

HIVEmind’s blue wireframe face appeared. “Greetings, Contessa. You have received a secure transmission from outside of H.I.V.E.”

“Fine, let me see it.” As a senior staff member, she was allowed to send or receive outside messages on occasion. Upkeep of their own criminal enterprises reflected well on G.L.O.V.E., after all. She scrolled through the first half of the message largely unconcerned. The sender did not introduce themselves by name but explained that they were a mid-ranked member of the organization and held quite a bit of power themselves. They were interested in expanding into the areas that the Sinistre family traditionally had control of, and were asking – demanding, rather – that she pass along assets to them. _Your time is up. Villains like you are no longer necessary. People like me are the future. I will not be ignor-_

“Blah, blah, blah,” she muttered. Every once in a while, some tenth-rate evildoer would get an inflated sense of their own superiority and attempt a power grab, this was nothing new. She would simply tell Dr. Nero and then this person would be tracked down and dealt with. Besides, it wasn’t as if they held any power over her anyways.

She scrolled down further, and her blood ran cold. There was a photo attached of two women sitting in a grimy prison cell, scared and crying. The older one was someone the Contessa hadn’t seen in years but would recognize anywhere: her daughter. The younger girl must be her granddaughter then, the family resemblance confirmed it.

_As you can see, I have taken your family hostage. If I suspect that you tell anyone or try to get them back, I kill them. If you wish for them to return home, unharmed, forward the following amount to my account._

She felt sick. All those zeroes! There was no way she could afford that, even with her salary as a H.I.V.E. instructor. The Blackbox fell out of her hands and clattered to the floor as she struggled to breathe. All those years ago, her daughter had cut off all ties with her and left the country, so the Contessa assumed she would be safe. That no one could use her family against her. Yet part of her had always feared that her existence would always be a liability to her daughter, that someone would do something like this. And now her only child was in danger. Her only grandchild was in danger. No matter what, she had to get them out of it.

~~~~~~~

Despite all this, the Contessa still had to leave for the scheduled G.L.O.V.E. meeting the next day. She was a nervous wreck, feeling terrified and trapped, but tried to hide it all away and put on a brave face. After she presented on the progress of the new project she worked on, there was a break in the meeting. Grateful, as she could barely hold herself together anymore, she rushed outside for a smoke. She burst through the door to the balcony and put a cigarette in the holder and lit it with shaking hands. She looked out at the view but felt too awful to admire it, even after being stuck in the volcano for so long without as much as a glimpse of the sky. The door opened suddenly behind her and she had to grip the railing to keep from jumping in surprise.

“Maria. Hello there.”

She recognized the voice as Cypher, the mysterious masked man on the Council who had been stirring up trouble lately. “What do you want,” she snapped, taking a drag of the cigarette.

“Now, now, let’s be civil here, can’t we? I wanted to ask for your assistance with something. A special project of mine.”

“You didn’t mention anything about this in the meeting.”

His tone shifted. “That is because it isn’t… any of their business, shall we say. In fact, I don’t believe they would take too kindly to my plans. Yet.”

Her attention was finally grabbed as she realized what he was implying. “I am no traitor, you realize.”

“’Traitor’ is such a harsh word. I prefer to think of it as moving over to the winning side. I will compensate you greatly for your help, you know.”

After a brief pause for thought, the Contessa turned and faced him for the first time, seeing her own desperate face reflected in his mask. “What do you need from me?”

~~~~~~~

“Why, Maria?” Doctor Nero spat. “We trusted you!”

“Everyone has their price, Max,” she replied calmly. _Someone finally found mine._


	10. Drabble 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a Drabble prompt list on Tumblr #42: “This cost a thousand dollars?!”  
> Heck yeah I finally stayed at 100 words!

“It’s beautiful!”   
Lucy held up the bracelet she had just unwrapped for her birthday and admired the way it sparkled in the light. It was a thin gold chain with two shimmering jewels, simple and beautiful. “I absolutely love it!”

”Wonderful,” the Contessa smiled, unable to hide how pleased she was. “You see? I didn’t go overboard.”

”I’m glad. I was worried you’d spend a fortune on all sorts of ridiculous things,” she joked as she slid the bracelet on.

”Of course not. This was only about, oh, $1,000,” she remarked casually.

Lucy’s jaw dropped. “This cost _a thousand dollars_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I checked the Tiffany website to see what a thousand dollar bracelet looks like. And yeah that’s it. It’s so wild, there’s a giant cuff bracelet for $40,000. Lucy would flip out. The Contessa would be like “Fabulous I’ll take two.”


	11. Braids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just thought this was a super cute idea.

“Dang it.”

Lucy frowned in the mirror at the state of her hair. She had spent the past half hour trying to braid her hair and had made little progress. One braid looked very sloppy and twisted, with loose strands everywhere; the other had unraveled messily after she accidentally let it go. She let out a noise that was a half-sigh, half-groan and started giving it another try. Her mother had always been the one to braid her hair for her. In fact, Lucy hadn’t realized that she couldn’t do it herself until that morning. She’d picked out her outfit for the day – a casual, long sleeved blue dress that reached a few inches above the knee and a pair of gray tights – all the while thinking about how much cuter it would look with braids, before she finally went to brush her hair and was struck with the thought of _wait, I’ve never done this before_.

Always eager to learn and do things herself, she set about practicing. There was no way she would call some maid in to do it for her, ordering someone to do her hair every day like she was some sort of princess. _That’s probably what grandmother does_ , Lucy thought with an eyeroll, imagining the poor person whose job it was to come in every morning and empty two cans of hairspray on the Contessa. She snickered, then concentrated back on the task at hand.

“Okay. Over this one, then over this one, and then… wait no, this part should be in the middle now…”

A sudden knock at the door made her lose focus and her hair slipped through her fingers again.

“Miss Lucia? You are late for breakfast. The Contessa is requesting you come down immediately,” called the maid from the hallway.

_Whoops_. “I’ll be right there!” Lucy stood up, removing the hair tie and shaking her hair loose. _It’s probably not good to keep her waiting_. She sped down the hallways, bounded down the stairs, then walked calmly into the dining room. “Er, sorry about that. Good morning.”

The Contessa gave her a slightly disapproving look but made no mention of her tardiness. “Good morning, Lucia.” She watched her granddaughter take her usual seat at the table. “Have you combed your hair yet today?”

“Oh, right, it probably looks like a mess.” Lucy brushed out a tangle with her fingers as she stabbed a piece of bacon with her fork. “I was trying to teach myself how to braid. It didn’t turn out very well.”

“It’s not too difficult. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

“Mm.” She finished her mouthful of food and said thoughtfully, “Maybe I could practice on you? Your hair’s pretty long, it might be easier.”

The Contessa seemed almost to recoil at the suggestion. “Absolutely not.”

“Right, I didn’t think so.” Lucy chuckled slightly. She didn’t _really_ think the answer would’ve been yes, and besides, how awkward would that have been anyways? Styling her grandmother’s hair as if she was a child and not a world-renowned villainess. It would be like walking up to a tiger and putting a hairbow on it. Yet, surprisingly, there was a small part of her that felt the tiniest bit disappointed.

~~~~~~~

One day the next week, the Contessa found herself getting ready as she usually did each morning. After getting dressed, she sat in front of her vanity to finish with her hair and makeup. Staring at her reflection, at her long hair that flowed down to her waist, she recalled Lucy’s question from the prior week.

“Perhaps I was too hard on her,” she said to the mirror. “What’s the harm?” Her reflection grimaced back at her. “No, no, I was right. It would be… it would be… well, I just don’t want to do it.”

She started brushing out her hair, mind apparently made up, but found herself slowing to a halt after a few moments. “Come on. Are you a grandmother, or aren’t you?”

~~~~~~~

Lucy hummed to herself as she rearranged her clothes before breakfast. Today’s outfit: periwinkle blouse, black skirt, white tights, ponytail. It wasn’t that she hadn’t given up on her braiding endeavor; rather, she had decided to take a break for a few days. 

There was a knock at the door. “Yes?” she called out, expecting another message from a maid. The door opened up, and she turned around only to freeze in her tracks. In the doorway stood her grandmother, but instead of her usual monumental updo, her hair hung loose. It was a strange sight, one Lucy felt almost like she wasn’t supposed to witness.

The Contessa noticed Lucy’s puzzled, wide-eyed expression, and chose to ignore it. “I have made the decision that you may, if you still desire, practice braiding my hair. Who am I to deny you from learning a new skill?”

Lucy stared a few moments more. This was odd, to say the least, but not in a bad way. “Um, alright. Thank you. I’m still having a hard time with it, so this could help.”

She gave a slight nod and sat at the desk, flipping her hair over the back of the chair. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Lucy stepped behind her a bit uncertainly, then reached out and separated her hair into three sections. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes after Lucy began braiding, and she absentmindedly resumed her contented humming. The Contessa relaxed ever so slightly; she wanted to ask how it was going but stayed silent so as not to break the peaceful atmosphere.

“You know,” Lucy said at last as she was almost finished, “it’s much more fun to braid someone else’s hair.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Contessa,,,, is a tsundere


	12. Period, Exclamation Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from @spocks-evil-godmother, awkward period talk. Thanks!!

_Alright, let’s get this over with_. Lucy stood glumly in the hallway, very much not wanting to have the conversation that she was about to start. But she knew she had to bring it up, as awkward as it would be, and at least there was the consolation that it was bound to only last one or two minutes maximum. She could picture it already: she would say what she needed to, grandmother would give her a look of mild disgust and disinterest and summon some maid in to take care of the problem, and then they would never speak of it again. That wouldn’t be so bad.

Taking one last deep breath, Lucy rounded the corner and strode right into her grandmother’s office where the Contessa sat at her computer, typing away. Standing in front of desk, feeling ready, she confidently proclaimed: “Um.”

Suddenly finding herself at a loss for words, she simply stood there, mouth gaped. _Well. That wasn’t exactly how I wanted to start_.

“Did you need something?” The Contessa hadn’t even glanced up, continuing to type.

“Um, yes. I’m… bleeding.”

This at least earned her a side glance. “What happened? Do you need a bandage? You know where they are.”

“No, it’s not… that kind of bleeding.” Lucy’s voice was trailing off, her gaze now firmly planted on the ground. “So, um, I guess I just needed to know- “

She stopped as an abrupt noise caused her to jump. Her grandmother had sprung out of her chair and was staring at her intently. “It’s time for this already, hmm? Yes, I suppose you’re at that age. Not to worry, I have prepared for this. Come along.”

The Contessa moved out from behind the desk and placed a hand on Lucy’s shoulder, leading her briskly down the hallway. Confused, the younger girl simply went along with it. They stopped in one of the bathrooms, where the Contessa opened up what Lucy had thought was a linen cabinet and gestured inside.

“I’ve had it stocked with various types of feminine products. Try whichever ones you want and write down whatever you decide is best for you so I can add it to the shopping list. I’ll have them restock each month, so you won’t have to worry about running out. There’s medicine too, if you feel you need it. One at a time is enough.”

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, that’s all I needed.”

“Of course. I should have someone put a heating pad in there as well, just so everything is in one place. Now, you get yourself situated and then meet me in the plotting room.”

“The what?”

“The room across from the library.” With that, she gave Lucy a few quick pats on the head and left.

Now alone, Lucy wasn’t worried about whatever was coming next, nor was she nervous anymore about her period. Something else was on her mind.

“Why on Earth does she call it the plotting room?”

~~~~~~~

She had wondered for a while what the room across from the library was. With its heavy mahogany door always locked tight, she assumed it was another evil-related secret she wasn’t supposed to be privy to. It was now open, and she stepped inside to see that yep, it didn’t look good. A large, expensive looking circular table was centered in the middle of the red-carpeted room with at least a dozen chairs around it. One wall was all shelves, upon which were stacked books, binders, and an impressive array of strange devices that she could only guess the purpose of. On the opposite wall hung many maps, some of which had pins scattered across various cities and countries. At the far end hung two large monitors and a whiteboard. No windows, only one way in and out.

The Contessa sat inside and waved at her to come over.

“So, what exactly is this room for?” Lucy asked, taking a chair two seats away.

“Plotting, of course. Do you know how many great schemes have been made in these walls? How many meetings? Treaties? Overthrowings of our enemies?” she asked with pride in her voice.

_Definitely nothing good has ever been decided in here_. “So why am I here now?”

“It is very important that you understand what is happening to you. I’m sure you still have questions. This is, what you would call, a ‘big deal,’ dear.”

Lucy could see where this was heading and felt a sense of dread. “You know, you could probably just get me a library book about this.”

“No, no, no. It is my responsibility to walk you through this. And I have much experience as a teacher- “

“How? When?”

“–so I am fully capable of delivering an in-depth lecture. I’ll tell you everything you need to know. I have a presentation prepared; you can stop me any time for questions. Perhaps you’d like to take notes.” The Contessa was quite pleased with herself for all this. She knew that becoming her granddaughter’s guardian and finishing raising her would be challenging, and that there would be many difficult questions and talks along the way. There were only a handful of topics she felt she could handle with confidence, and this was one of them.

With a click of a button, one of the screens flickered on. “Beginning with the first slide…”

This was all so much more than Lucy had been expecting. It felt rather embarrassing to talk about all this, especially with her grandmother, but in some ways she was happy that she hadn’t been brushed to the side. _She knew this would happen. She thought about the best way to help me. Sure, this is a bit over the top, but it kind of reminds me of something Mum would’ve done_. She listened closely to the lecture, only slightly mortified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kinda tough, because I wanted to show that A) periods aren't weird, they're totally normal!  
>  but also B) some kids are really embarrassed and don't want to talk about it.  
> And I've definitely never written anything like this before so I hope it comes across well.


	13. What's In A Name?

It didn’t bother her at first. It was the opposite actually; she felt it was the most appropriate option. Formal, respectful, had a certain class to it. Fitting for a lady such as herself.

‘Grandmother.’

Throughout her career in villainy, the Contessa had always preferred being called by her title. None of that ‘Mrs. Sinistre’ nonsense. Only a close, trusted few could call her Maria. She felt that this gave her a distance from others, a distance she enjoyed as it was a constant reminder of her higher rank, her leadership, her power.

Of course, she couldn’t have her granddaughter referring to her as ‘the Contessa.’ Before she had even met Lucy, she was already vehemently against ‘granny’ or ‘gram-gram’ and other similar cutesy gibberish. When Lucy had first called her ‘grandmother,’ she felt it was perfect. That’s what she was, plain and simple, yet with a sense of refinement and, most importantly, not ridiculous sounding.

So why, then, did it bother her now? It had likely started after a few offhand remarks from Lucy. “My other grandma used to knit blankets like this,” or “Nana Dexter was famous around town for her pies.”

It was the way the words sounded. More specifically, the way Lucy sounded when she spoke them. Those other words were so warm and familiar, and she seemed so relaxed when she said them. And then she would address the Contessa in an almost official tone, as if she were reporting for duty.

This kind of distance wasn’t wanted. Formality, perhaps, did not always equal respect. Maybe the weakness of allowing someone in closer was not always a weakness. The Contessa pondered this with discomfort. Maybe she was overthinking it. it wasn’t as if Lucy calling her Grandma would mean everything was suddenly right between them. But maybe it would be a step.

“Grandmother? Are you in there?”

 _I think I hate it when she calls me that_.

~~~~~~~

She probably shouldn’t be this upset. It is her name after all. She didn’t dislike it, exactly. She just never used it much, and now hearing it so often was a little jarring.

’Lucia.’

She had gone by ‘Lucy’ her whole life. It’s what her parents and friends called her, what she introduced herself as. Legally she was Lucia and would have to sign it that way for official purposes, and that’s how it was listed in her old school records. Every new class, the teacher would call it out and she would quickly explain yes, but please call me Lucy. That would be that, and it wouldn’t happen again the rest of the year.

Again, Lucy didn’t dislike her name, but she didn’t quite like it either. All the same, she was proud of it. Proud of her culture, proud of the name her parents lovingly gave her. She would happily announce herself as Lucia Sinistre in the proper scenario. For day to day usage, however, she simply preferred to be called Lucy.

Yet here was her grandmother, always using ‘Lucia.’ She was definitely a very proper woman, holding strong the family name, but sometimes it made it seem like she didn’t care. Lucy clearly favored ‘Lucy,’ and at this point her grandmother’s complete lack of acknowledgement of this fact felt almost as if she really didn’t know the first thing about Lucy, or didn’t particularly care to.

Then again, maybe Lucy was reading too much into it. Old people are stubborn, and her grandmother also didn’t strike her as the nicknaming type. But still, she couldn’t take a hint at least once?

“Yes, come in, Lucia.”

_I think I hate it when she calls me that._


	14. Drabble 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a Tumblr drabble prompt list #97 '″You look like a princess!” “No darling, I’m a queen!”'  
> I tried to keep it 100 but alas, it is not. I might expand on this scenario later because I love the thought of them getting all dressed up!

Lucy was bubbling with anticipation as she finished applying her soft pink lip gloss. Tonight, she was finally allowed to leave the Sinistre estate as she would be attending the opera with her grandmother. She didn’t know much about the opera itself, or if she’d even be able to understand it, but the thought of going _somewhere_ was exciting enough.

It was also nice to get dressed up again. Her dress was dark purple, high-low styled, with long, lacy sleeves, and she had straightened her hair for the occasion. After one final glance in the mirror, she turned and skipped out to the living room.

“I’m all ready to- woah.” Lucy froze in her tracks when she saw her grandmother. The older woman wore her hair down and curled elegantly; her deep blue off-the-shoulder gown flared at the waist and reached the ground.

“You look gorgeous, Lucia,” the Contessa said warmly.

“You look like a princess!”

With a smirk, she replied, “No darling, I’m a queen.”


	15. Sick Day pt 1

Lucy slowly felt herself waking up, although she immediately wished to be asleep again. Her head was pounding, her body ached, and she simultaneously felt chilly and far too hot. She wondered for a moment if she was in a hospital, but no, the sheets were much too soft, and she could hear the familiar soft ticking of an antique bedside clock, this was her room.

She could make out voices nearby; it sounded like two people were conversing in Italian. Had she not felt so terrible, she might have been able to focus enough to understand what they were saying. She groaned and shifted around, trying to get comfortable.

“Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Lucy opened an eye at her grandmother’s voice. “Not that great,” she answered groggily.

“Yes, it looks like you might have the flu. Not to worry, the doctor said you’ll be fine.” The Contessa shooed the second person, presumably the doctor, out from the room and stepped closer to the bedside. “You have a small fever, but it’s not so high as to be worrisome.”

“My head hurts,” Lucy complained.

“I know, just get some rest. I’ve postponed your lessons until you’re well again. And drink lots of fluids.” The Contessa poured a glass of water out of a pitcher that Lucy hadn’t noticed was set out on the nightstand.

“M’kay.” She had already closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillow again.

“Here, have some water.”

“Mmmhmm.”

She heard a sigh, then the gentle _clink_ of a glass being set down. “I’ll let you sleep, then. But have something to drink when you wake up.”

“Uh huh…”

“I’ll be back later to check on you,” the Contessa said, even though she knew Lucy was probably asleep already. She reached out for a moment, as if to brush a strand of hair out of the girl’s face, before drawing her hand back to her chest and leaving.

Later, Lucy awoke from her nap feeling at least mildly better. The headache had lessened somewhat, although the rest of her still felt awful. Slowly, she sat up in bed and then gulped down the cup of water that had been left on the nightstand. A bell had been placed next to it, sitting on top of a note that said “Ring if you need anything.” Ordinarily she would have rolled her eyes and made a joke about it, but she was much too sick to care right now. She shook the bell, wincing as its high-pitched peals irritated her already aching head, and before she could set it down all the way a maid was already opening the door.

“Something wrong, miss? Let me check your temperature.”

Lucy gave her weak smile. “No, I’m just a little hun- mmph!” The thermometer stuffed in her mouth cut her off. “I’m- “

“No talking until it’s done, please.”

She waited semi-patiently until the thermometer beeped and the maid checked it. “So can I have some foo- “

The door suddenly burst open and the Contessa rushed in. “How are you? How is she?”

“Her temperature is about the same, ma’am.”

“Grandmother, I’d really like som- “

“You must be starving. Get her something to eat, now,” the Contessa ordered, dragging the desk chair over by the bed.

Lucy sighed, “Yes, that’d be great. Any kind of soup, please.”

The maid nodded and left, leaving the two of them alone. Lucy glanced over at her grandmother, sitting right next to her, legs crossed and staring at her purposefully.

“Um, yes?”

“What?” Her gaze was unwavering.

Confused, Lucy told her, “I don’t need anything else. You can leave if you want, so you don’t catch this from me.”

“Nonsense,” the Contessa responded with a wave of her hand, “I am going to sit with you, to keep you company.

“Oh. You don’t have to do that.”

“Well, I’m going to.” She said this firmly with a serious look on her face. Then her expression changed to a beaming grin; she reached into her dress pocket and removed a deck of cards. “Here, I brought us something to do.” She opened the box and began expertly shuffling the cards. “What’s your game, hmm? Canasta? Blackjack? Gin rummy?”

Lucy briefly wondered if this was real or some kind of hallucination brought on by her illness. “Er, how about Go Fish?” she asked sheepishly.

The Contessa paused the shuffling and gave her a genuine, amused smile. “Go Fish it is.”

The next few days proceeded in a similar pattern. Whenever Lucy wasn’t resting, her grandmother would be right by her side with some activity to help pass the time. Teaching her card games, playing checkers, doing a puzzle; she had even bought Lucy a television for her room and had it hung on the wall. That Saturday night found the two of them watching reruns of an old cartoon Lucy remembered from her childhood. Her grandmother didn’t seem very impressed at first, but as the show droned on and Lucy laughed and laughed, she could’ve sworn she heard a chuckle or two from the older woman.

When the episode ended, Lucy flicked the TV off with a yawn. “I’m exhausted.”

“You seem to be feeling better. Your fever is gone.”

Lucy stretched and pulled her blanket back up, cuddling into her pillow. “I’m still a little achy, but I think I’m better for the most part.”

“Good, I’m glad,” the Contessa said, switching off the lamp. “Good night then.”

“You know,” Lucy began suddenly, in a sleepy voice, “when I was sick as a little kid, Mum used to sing to me until I fell asleep. I think… it was something like…” She yawned again, closed her eyes, then started to hum slowly. The memories came back, her mother laying next to her, brushing her fingers through Lucy’s hair comfortingly, singing a song Lucy could only recall the tune to.

And then she heard it. It took her a moment to realize the Contessa was quietly singing along, in Italian, her soothing voice made Lucy relax almost immediately.

“Hey, that’s it! How’d you know… the words…” Lucy trailed off, too tired. As she drifted off, she could swear she felt a hand gently brushing against her hair, and she fell asleep with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to end this one with Lucy walking out of her room the next morning saying she felt better, but the two of them should still finish the puzzle they started anyways. But then I liked ending it like this better.


	16. Sick Day pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to finish this like two days ago but I had such a headache. Also this one ended up longer than I thought!

Lucy strolled into the dining room one morning to find the table set for only one person. It wasn’t entirely unusual, as the Contessa would occasionally be too preoccupied with work to leave her office or be gone for a few days on business. Unconcerned, Lucy sat down (slouching a little – it wasn’t like anyone was there to lecture her on posture) and drummed her fingers on the table while she waited.

The cook brought breakfast out a few minutes later, setting a single portion on the table.

“Thank you. I suppose she won’t be joining me then?” Lucy asked, nodding her head towards her grandmother’s chair.

“Ah, no,” he replied as he poured her a fresh glass of orange juice. “The Contessa is feeling ill and has decided to stay in her bedroom today. I will take something up for her shortly.”

“Oh!” Lucy’s eyes widened at the news. “Is she alright?”

The cook gave her a kind smile. “No need to worry, Miss.” He turned back into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her food and thoughts.

This was the first time her grandmother had been sick since Lucy had known her. It was almost strange to think about, considering the invulnerable way she always portrayed herself. _Well, it happens to everyone. I suppose she is human after all_.

As she ate, Lucy started to ponder if she should check in on the Contessa. At least once. It would only be polite, wouldn’t it? Unless she didn’t want visitors. No, likely not. And she definitely wasn’t someone you wanted to bother.

 _Then again…_ Lucy recalled a few months ago when she herself was sick and her grandmother had hardly left her side the whole time. Illness aside, it had been a rather pleasant experience. Having company had helped the days seem to move faster. With a decisive nod, Lucy stood up and began her march to the Contessa’s room.

She hadn’t actually been in there before but had a general idea of where it was. It was all the way on the opposite side of the manor, on the topmost floor. Walking up the grand staircases and through many a long hallway, Lucy had to wonder why her grandmother had wanted to be so far removed from the rest of the household. Wouldn’t it feel even lonelier all the way back here? Although, with all things considered, it was almost as if she preferred it that way.

Lucy paused in front of the door for a few seconds before tentatively knocking.

“ _What!_ ”

She flinched at the harsh reply and hurried in before she lost her nerve. She quickly examined the bedroom with surprise. Her expectation had been some type of lair: black walls, dark wooden floors, thick black curtains. Probably some knives or something as decorations. However, it was a very ordinary room, at least when compared to the rest of the house. The furniture was a beautiful dark oak, with two dressers, two nightstands, a matching vanity, and a small bookshelf. A little sitting area was off to one side with two cream colored loveseats around a low coffee table. Doors to what Lucy assumed were the closet and bathroom were on the left, and there was another glass paned door on the right. There were a few paintings of various nature scenes on the walls for decoration. It felt almost average, for someone of her wealth. Perhaps even a tad impersonal.

The Contessa was sitting up in bed, tucked under the rosy colored comforter. Her hair was back in a large, messy bun, and she clutched a book in one hand and a tissue in the other. She glared up at Lucy.

“I did _not_ say you could come in,” she scolded.

Lucy put on her best comforting smile. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“It’s just a cold.” She blew her nose loudly and tossed it into the already half-full trashcan next to the bed. “No need for concern.”

“Do you want me to get you anything?”

“No.”

Lucy frowned. _So she’s one of those people who gets grumpy when they’re sick, huh? Or in her case, grumpier than usual_. “Are you sure? It’s really no trouble.”

“I said no. You may leave now.” She gave a dismissive wave as she reached for another tissue.

“You stayed by me when I was sick, I want to return the favor.” Lucy was determined to stand her ground.

She scowled. “Well, I don’t need anything, so you can go.”

“That’s exactly what I said, but you stayed anyways,” Lucy shot back in a firm voice.

They stared at each other for about ten seconds, which felt like ten minutes to Lucy, until the Contessa turned away for another tissue.

“Fine,” the older woman grumbled. “If you so insist, then fetch me something to drink. And bring your homework! There will be no slaking off today. I want a full report of how your lessons are going.”

“Sure thing!”

~~~~~~~

Lucy spent the next few hours in one of the loveseats studying and occasionally asking if her grandmother needed anything or trying to start a conversation. She would mostly get grunts or snippy answers in return. At one point she took it upon herself to empty the trash bin and find a new box of tissues, for which she received a ‘hmph!’ and a nod as thanks.

“You’re a terrible patient, you know,” Lucy teased.

“I cannot stand being sick. It is such a waste of time,” the Contessa complained. “There is so much work I could be doing right now.” She leaned back and rubbed her temples.

“Maybe you’re sick because you’ve been working too hard.”

“Meh.”

Lucy bit her lip to keep from giggling at the sight of her grandmother acting like a cranky child. Crossing back over to the other side of the room, she picked up her history book and resumed reading. A few pages later she glanced up to ask if she should make some snacks and saw that the Contessa was now asleep, snoring softly. She chuckled quietly to herself and whispered, “Not so scary now, huh?”

She finished the chapter she needed to read and closed the textbook, gently tapping her fingers on the cover. Bored, she looked around the room again feeling the strong urge to snoop. Not to open drawers or anything, just to get a closer look at things to try and get a sense of her grandmother’s personality. _She’s still asleep, so… why not?_ Lucy thought mischievously. She set the textbook aside and tiptoed over to the glass paned door. Peeking through, she observed that it led to a balcony that overlooked the estate’s vast backyard. The view was probably gorgeous, but she knew the door was likely locked or alarmed.

Turning back, she crept over to one of the dressers where she had noticed a few framed photographs. Four, to be precise. The first was an elegant black-and-white photo of a man and woman. Her parents, maybe? _Not that she’s told me anything about them_. Next was of a handsome man giving a broad grin towards the camera. _That’s interesting_. The third, she could only assume, was Lucy’s mother as a child, dressed in the frilly sort of dress one wears for Easter and smiling brightly, showing off the gap from a lost tooth. Lucy was filled with warmth, and she felt tears come to her eyes looking at a time that her mother was both here and happy.

At the last photo, she had to blink a few times to make sure she was seeing it right. It was… her. An old school picture of Lucy from a year or so before she came to live here. “How did she get this?” Lucy whispered in awe.

Her grandmother stirred suddenly, breaking Lucy from her thoughts. She darted back over and practically jumped onto the couch, sitting primly as if she hadn’t moved at all.

“Lucia? Are you still there?”

“Yes! How do you feel?”

“The same. Can I have more water?”

“Of course!” Lucy bounced up, heart still racing from almost being caught, and poured another glass. “Did you want to do anything? Cards or something?”

The Contessa took a sip of water and shook her head. “No, I think I’ll finish this book first.”

“Let me read it to you then.” Lucy offered.

She raised an eyebrow. “I am quite capable of reading, thank you.”

Lucy huffed, “Oh come on, I’m trying to be nice. That’s what you’re supposed to do when someone’s sick.”

“Fine, fine,” the Contessa sighed, passing over the book. “It’s in Italian, show me how well you understand it.” To her surprise, instead of moving back over to the loveseat, Lucy climbed onto the other side of the bed and sat there, legs crisscrossed.

“I’ll start at the top of the page, if that’s alright,” Lucy said.

She let out a noise that could have been a laugh. “Go ahead.”

Lucy started reading out loud, slowly at first, then speeding up to a normal pace as she gained confidence. It was a classic whodunit mystery novel that she actually found herself getting interested in. the Contessa only had to give a few corrections on pronunciation, and Lucy would occasionally switch back to English to comment on the plot. As they debated whether or not a certain character was the murderer, a maid came in to deliver their meal.

Lucy grabbed her plate and skipped back over to eat at the coffee table. “Great, I was starting to get hungry! Let’s keep reading for a little while when we’re done. Or, you know what else we could do? I think we still had another puzzle to do from when I was sick. That would be fun!”

The Contessa watched fondly as Lucy sat down and chattered on. She didn’t seem that uncomfortable to be in her presence today. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself right now.

“Whatever you’d like to do. And Lucia… thank you.”

“For what?”

The Contessa loudly blew her nose again and ignored the question. “Eat before it gets cold. I don’t want you wasting any food.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lucy smiled.


	17. Heart And Soul

Lucy had a few favorite places in the Sinistre estate. Her mother’s room was the first, of course. The gardens were another; she could stroll along the paths seeing what plants she could name or that she thought her mother would like, and also found it relaxing to get away from it all and sit amongst the flowers. She supposed her room was a favorite too. At least she could decorate it however she wanted and make it feel as close to ‘home’ as possible.

The ballroom was quickly and unexpectedly becoming another of her favorites. Lucy liked to think she was unimpressed with the grandeur of the mansion, preferring the much simpler style of the house she grew up in, but the ballroom left her in awe. It was an enormous room that had beautiful marble floors with intricate golden designs, and columns that stretched up the similarly gold patterned wall all the way to the high ceiling. The far wall was a row of windows that allowed for a gorgeous view of the land and the far-out city. At night, the stars could be seen so clearly, twinkling above the city’s welcoming lights. With one flick of a switch the three great chandeliers would glow to life and the whole room would practically shine. This opulence took Lucy’s breath away and she would always feel as if she had just stepped into a fairy tale.

The first time she went in, Lucy could only walk around wide-eyed and try to take in all in. For a while afterwards her visits consisted of staring out the windows, admiring the picturesque scene outside and wishing she could be out there, exploring the town. Once or twice, although it felt slightly embarrassing, she couldn’t resist waltzing across the floor with an imaginary partner as if she had been invited to a magnificent ball from the storybooks her mother used to read to her. She allowed herself to twirl around and feel carefree, if only for a moment.

At one point she went over to examine the grand piano that was centered at the wall of windows. It was enormous and, although she was no expert on musical instruments, she could tell it was outrageously expensive. Sitting down on the plush piano bench, she ran her fingers across the smooth lid and opened it up. The keys, as well as the rest of it, were polished so that Lucy could practically see her reflection. She pressed a few keys and the notes echoed perfectly throughout the room. Clean and in tune, the piano had definitely been well taken care of all this time.

She wondered how old it was, if it belonged to anyone in particular, or if it was just a display of wealth. Maybe it was only for parties, when a pianist would be hired to entertain guests. Lucy could only assume the Sinistre family had held parties at one time, or else there would be no point in having such a magnificent ballroom.

Lucy suppressed the urge to dash her hand across the keys and loudly play every note in a row, and thought back to the time she took piano lessons as a young child. It was many years ago, and only lasted about a few months; she got bored of it and wanted to quit, and her mother didn’t force her to keep going. Surely, she could remember how to play something. Tapping a few more keys to get the feel of it, she was slowly able to recall Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She repeated it until she could play it fluidly, no hesitation or missed notes. It was an easy song, nothing particularly impressive, but she was proud of herself, nonetheless.

Whenever she had free time and was sure she wouldn’t be seen, Lucy would secretly slip away to the ballroom and practice the piano again. Chopsticks, she decided, would be next. She didn’t exactly know why she felt she had to sneak around. Anyone walking by would hear her anyway. Perhaps she just didn’t want anyone making a big deal of it, like her grandmother hiring a piano teacher and having Lucy on a strict practice schedule. It was more fun this way as a casual hobby that she could do on her own time.

One evening, Lucy found herself there again. She watched the sunset for a few minutes and then turned back to the piano. She was feeling confident with the first part of Chopsticks and wanted to try playing it faster. Fingers on the keys, she straightened up like she was a famous pianist and began. She repeated the song a few times, picking up speed with each one until she felt the pace was where it should be.

Lucy hummed along: “Da da da da da da dum, da dum.” She kept going based on how she thought the rest of the song went until she hit a wrong note and stopped.

“I didn’t know you could play.”

Lucy yelped at the sudden voice and noticed her grandmother standing in front of her. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago. I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard music from the hall.” The Contessa half smiled. “You played it well.”

“Oh, um, thanks.” Embarrassed, she averted her eyes to the floor. “It wasn’t that great, I don’t even know if I was doing it right.”

“It sounded right to me.”

“I don’t know… I was just a kid when I took lessons.”

“As was I.”

Lucy looked back up at her grandmother. “You took piano lessons too?” she asked incredulously.

“In this very spot.” The Contessa sounded amused, adding, “I didn’t spend my childhood learning how steal and murder like you seem to think I did.”

“I never _said_ that.” Lucy cleared her throat. “Anyways… piano. I wish I could remember other songs, but this is basically it.”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance.” She waved for Lucy to move. Lucy stood up and stepped aside, watching her grandmother open up the bench to reveal a stack of sheet music.

“I didn’t know you could store things in there! Cool!”

The Contessa chuckled as she flipped through the papers. “Oh yes. Very cool. Now, do you know ‘Heart and Soul’?”

Lucy thought for a moment. “Actually, yes. I think I tried part of it once or twice. But it’s a duet, isn’t it?”

“Correct.” She set the sheet music in the stand, put the rest back, then closed the bench and sat down. “Would you care to join me?”

“Um…” Lucy hesitated, then nodded at last. She sat down on the right half of the bench, next to her grandmother.

“This is my part here, and that there is what you’ll play,” the Contessa said, pointing at the paper.

“Right, I think I remember.”

“Then let’s start. In three, two, one.”

They played together for about thirty seconds until Lucy’s finger slipped and hit the wrong key, and she stopped.

“Sorry! I’m a little nervous, this is too fast for me!” She sounded upset.

The Contessa told her reassuringly, “No need to apologize, you were doing fine. Try it again.” Seeing Lucy’s concern, she added, “We can play slower this time.”

They started at the beginning, the Contessa matching her granddaughter’s slower pace, letting the younger girl feel more accustomed to the notes she was playing. After three or four plays, Lucy sat up straighter and smiled.

“I think I’ve got the hang of it now!”

“I think you do too.”

Lucy opened her mouth to say something else, then saw something out of the corner of her eye. “Look at the stars!”

Both of them turned in their seats to admire the night sky. “It’s so pretty!” she continued. “I didn’t realize it had gotten this late. I love the view from here.”

“It’s beautiful,” the Contessa agreed. “I used to watch the stars from here when I was younger, too.”

Remembering her earlier curiosities, Lucy asked, “Did you used to have parties here?”

“Oh, did we ever.” Her voice turned fond as she reminisced. “All kinds of parties. Birthdays, dances, other celebrations. They were grand events; I can’t even begin to guess how many people would attend. Very formal too, black tie. We would hire a band and dance all night. People these days don’t throw balls like that anymore. You should have seen it in all its glory.”

“I can only imagine,” Lucy said softly, dreamily. “It sounds incredible.”

“It was.” They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, gazing at the stars.

“Do you think we could play the song again? I feel ready now.”

“Of course, dear.”

The sounds of ‘Heart and Soul’ filled the air, making the ballroom feel more alive than it had been in decades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love piano music but I don't know any technical music terms, so I hope this sounds okay.


	18. Looking Good And Feline Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing this one then I got distracted by another idea!! Then I got distracted from that one too so I decided to just finish up this one. Was going to combine it with another prompt but I'll do that one separately instead.   
> And the chapter title is both a cat pun and reference to a line from the song "Fashion!" by Lady Gaga. A double whammy.

“Grandmother, look what I found!”

The Contessa put down the newspaper she had been reading, curious at how excited Lucy sounded. The weather had been lovely lately, and so they had decided to spend some time outside today. The Contessa sat on the patio with a stack of different newspapers, catching up on current events. Lucy had sat with her for only a few minutes, growing bored almost immediately and leaving for the gardens. “Or maybe I’ll explore a little further,” she had said, although her grandmother would never have expected that _this_ is what she would find. The teenager pranced over and held out her discovery: a scruffy, dirty, white cat.

“He’s so cute, isn’t he?” She cradled the cat in her arms like it was a baby. “And so friendly!”

“Where in the world did you find that?”

“Laying by the geraniums. He ran over as soon as he saw me, didn’t you, honey?” The cat meowed in response.

The Contessa frowned. “You absolutely cannot keep it, Lucia, I can tell you that much. Now put it down, it’s filthy.”

Lucy huffed and made a face as if she had been expecting such a reaction. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t going to ask that. He already has a home, see?” She shifted the cat around to show the thin black collar on its neck with a dangling name tag. “His name is Romeo. And there’s a phone number and address.”

“Excellent, I’ll have someone take it back where it belongs right away.” The Contessa stood to find the nearest maid or guard and order them to drive the animal home when Lucy interjected.

“No! Not yet! Let me at least clean him up and give him some food first. Poor baby must be starving.”

“Lucia,” she sighed, “I don’t want animals in the house. They make messes.”

Lucy shuffled the cat around so that his front paws rested on her shoulder, and he stretched up to rub his face on her cheek. “It won’t be long. And look how well behaved he is, he won’t do anything bad. Please?”

Her grandmother, unimpressed, shook her head.

“Oh come on, don’t tell me the whole villain thing extends to being mean to animals.”

The Contessa flashed her a look that made Lucy worry that she had gone too far this time. She stared back nervously and held her breath. It had felt like the two had grown the tiniest bit closer since Lucy had come to live her- or at least had gained more of an understanding of each other – but she knew it still wouldn’t be a good idea to push too far. At last, her grandmother simply closed her eyes and sighed again.

“Be quick about it. Bring the cat back out here as soon as possible. It leaves by the end of the day.”

Visibly relieved, Lucy nodded and hurried inside. “Thank you.”

“If it scratches the furniture, you are going to be in big trouble, young lady!” the Contessa called out at her retreating figure, knowing full well she wouldn’t actually punish Lucy if the cat did anything. She picked the newspaper back up and grumbled to herself, “I’m going soft. If any of those kids at the school had tried that with me, I’d have… no, they wouldn’t even have dared to talk back to me.” She lamented the apparent decline in her ability to intimidate until an interesting article caught her eye.

Meanwhile, Lucy took Romeo to the closest bathroom and filled the tub with a few inches of water.

“Come on, sweetheart, in you go.” She lowered him in carefully, knowing most cats hated water. “Please don’t scratch me, okay?” He seemed to enjoy it actually, sitting down and swishing his tail through the water before rolling onto his back with a ‘prrp!’ sound.

“Good boy!” Lucy cooed. She rubbed his belly and splashed water on his sides to rinse off the dirt. He behaved wonderfully as she cleaned him off, only yowling and hiding behind the sink when she turned on the hairdryer. She switched it off right away and grabbed a towel instead. “Sorry, sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you, kitty cat.” She scooped him up in the towel and dried him off like that, his fur now pure white and fluffed up.

They made a brief stop at the kitchen for a can of tuna and headed back to the yard. Her grandmother was absorbed in the newspaper again, so Lucy took advantage of the distraction by letting Romeo eat on the table. She scratched his ears and he purred happily as he ate.

“Anything exciting going on?” Lucy asked.

“Hmm. A new museum was built recently but judging by the location and the looks of it, well, it seems all too easy to steal from. Here, what do you think?” the Contessa lay the article out in front of Romeo and pointed at the picture.

Lucy blinked. “Um, Grandmother? Are you talking to the cat?”

“No, I’m…” she glanced at the cat again and furrowed her brows. “Oh. For a moment I though he was someone else.”

“Some _one_?” Lucy repeated in confusion. “What are you talking about? How do you mistake a cat for a person?”

“Is anyone available to take this creature home?” The Contessa stood up and marched over to the guard patrolling the yard. “You! I have another job for you!”

Lucy watched her yell at the guard as Romeo hopped into her lap. “She says the strangest things sometimes,” she remarked, patting him on the head.

“Meow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thought of her mistaking random cats for Ms. Leon was too funny to me. And can you imagine being so used to all the weird stuff at HIVE that it feels totally normal to talk to a cat (and have it talk back)?


	19. Drabble 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many years ago I came up with the headcanon that the Contessa's birthday was April 7, 1950. Then I forgot why. Once I remembered why, I realized my reasoning was very flawed and I really should rethink it, but for now it's still stuck with me. So in honor of that, here's a quick birthday drabble (exactly 100 words again! Woohoo!)

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your birthday was today!” Lucy exclaimed incredulously.

The Contessa shrugged. “You never asked.”

“We could have planned something. Don’t you want to do anything special?”

“Not particularly. I passed the age where one stops caring about birthdays many years ago.”

Lucy thought for a moment. “How old are you anyways?”

“Never ask a lady her age, Lucia,” the Contessa said in the same tone as if she was giving a lecture.

“Wow, that old, huh?”

She tried her best to glare but started to laugh before she could help it, Lucy joining in.


	20. With The Sun In My Eyes, You Were Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a line from the song "In A Crowd Of Thousands" from the Anastasia soundtrack. Taking song lyrics out of context is a fun way to find prompts! I like to find good lines and build something different out of them.  
> (side note: I've been listening to that on repeat for dayyys and it makes me Feel Emotions)

“They’re right back here,” Lucy called out as she jogged ahead. “I planted them a while ago in this empty spot. It’s amazing how they took it over!”

“I’m coming.” The Contessa stepped onto the grass, lifting the ends of her skirt so the morning dew wouldn’t wet the fabric. She had allowed Lucy some time ago to start a little garden of her own and apparently the results were spectacular enough that she wanted to show them off. “What kind of flower did you say it was?”

Lucy was too far ahead to hear. She continued to yell back energetically about the new crop of flowers, how many there were, how fast they were growing, how beautiful they were. “Wait until you see them!”

Sighing at the lack of answer, the Contessa continued to trudge on. Truthfully, she would rather be in her office right now digging into a pile of paperwork and reports related to the budding scheme she had in mind, so she was hoping this little excursion wouldn’t take too long. A quick glance and complement should be sufficient, then she could be on her way.

She looked up to see where Lucy had run off too and raised a hand over her eyes at the rising sun. the sunlight streamed directly onto her face, momentarily blinding her. Squinting, she could just make out Lucy’s long black hair shining in the morning light as the young girl sped away from her. At that moment the Contessa felt the faint tug of a memory: the sense that she had been here before, and that something which hadn’t seemed important in the past suddenly felt significant.

_The little girl bounded down the path. Her short ebony hair flew behind her, curled ends bouncing with every step._

_“Hurry, Mama, hurry!” her high voice rang out._

_“I know, I’m here. Slow down.”_

_Maria picked up the pace, trying to catch up before the girl tripped or ran out of sight. “Olivia, I told you to slow down! You’re going to hurt yourself.”_

_There was so much work to be done and yet here she was here in the park. But Olivia had begged, had clasped her hands together and gave her those puppy dog eyes, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout. I never see you anymore, Mama, she had said. Can’t you play with me today? At the park by the woods?_

_That was true, it had been a long while since they had spent more than a few minutes together due to her work. And so Maria acquiesced, on the terms that they would stay for only an hour and not a minute more. Olivia had squealed in joy and jumped up for a hug. Now, she veered abruptly off the path and scampered over to the edge of the forest._

_“Where do you think you’re going?” Maria followed, scrunching up her nose as she felt her heels sink into the grass. How unpleasant it was to run around out in the dirt when one could be indoors doing… well, anything else, just about. She was almost caught up at last when the child had crouched down to examine something. “What are you doing?”_

_Olivia spun around with a beaming smile. The sunlight lit up behind her like a halo. She thrust out her hands to reveal a bouquet of wildflowers. “Look, Mama! Pretty!”_

_Maria reached out, whether to take the flowers or pick up Olivia and carry her back to the path, she couldn’t remember, when –_

“Aren’t they pretty?”

The Contessa blinked the sun out of her eyes again and her daughter’s face disappeared from in front of her.

Almost.

A cloud moved in front of the sun and finally gave her a better look around. Lucy appeared before her now, bright blue eyes filled with delight, holding out a handful of tall purple flowers. Her hair was longer than Olivia’s ever was, but the resemblance otherwise was powerful: her smile, her eyes, the shape of her nose. It struck the Contessa hard in this moment.

“Yes. Very lovely,” she agreed, hearing how strained her voice sounded. She realized she had been holding her breath and inhaled deeply to settle herself.

Lucy noticed how unsteady her grandmother had become out of nowhere. “Are you okay?”

“Of course.” The Contessa squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds, to clear away the bitter feeling of the past, then opened them with a shaky smile. “Let me see what you’ve done here. Tell me all about it. Go on, no hurry. We have all day, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flowers Lucy planted are called Veronicas or Speedwells. Not sure if they grow fast, but they apparently spread a lot and can take over.


	21. What's Best For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa I thought I would've finished this one much sooner but I was distracted by Animal Crossing. Anyways thank you to everyone, on AO3 and FFN, for reading and for the kind comments!! <33 If anyone has a prompt/scenario suggestion, even if it's a single word, let me know with a comment or PM, I'd love suggestions!

It had all started with a watch. To think that something so simple could ignite such a big argument.

Lucy’s watch had broken out of nowhere, the wristband snapping as she tightened it that morning, falling to the floor and cracking the glass. No great loss, it had been on the cheaper side and she’d had it for many years anyways. So she had asked her grandmother for a new one, and was told that someone was being sent out to the city later that day for a shopping trip and would pick one up for her then. She accepted this answer at first, but it began to bother her more and more as the day went on. Why couldn’t she go along and get one herself? Why did she have to stay in the house all day, never allowed to walk around the city that she now lived in, that she could see from the window? She had resented that rule from the beginning and was upset to find that she had become used to it, complacent with being trapped here.

Lucy marched back up to her grandmother and firmly stated that she would prefer to go along on the shopping trip today. The Contessa shot her down immediately - no, you may not leave the house, remember – and changed the subject. But Lucy felt strong that day and would not back down, demanding to know why, and not taking “because I said so” as an answer.

This is how, half an hour later, they were both still standing across from each other in the Contessa’s office with the argument beginning to heat up.

“I just want to be able to go somewhere, anywhere, like everyone else can,” Lucy pleaded.

“You aren’t like everyone else.” The Contessa was clearly losing patience. “You need to stay here.”

“What, forever? So I’m a prisoner here?”

“Prisoner is a harsh word. This is for your safety.”

Lucy threw her hands up. “What could possibly happen to me if all I’m doing is going to the store for an hour?”

In a low, dark voice, the Contessa warned, “I have seen many things happen in my line of work. Terrible things that I do not desire to describe to you. It doesn’t take an hour; all these people need is a few seconds.”

“So it’s back to this, huh? Back to you.” Lucy crossed her arms and glared. “It’s all your fault choosing that life. You’re _evil_ , you lie and cheat and backstab, all for your own gain. You get involved with dangerous people and let them use you for _the_ _voice_. It’s bad enough you do all that, but you’ve cursed your whole family too!”

“That is enough!” The Contessa was practically shouting, now furious. “I will not tolerate you speaking to me like this! As long as you live in this house, you will follow my rules, and that’s that.”

She scoffed. “Why do I get the feeling you’ll keep trying to control me even when I’m older?”

“I am your guardian and I expect you to listen to me!”

“Do you really think my mother would be happy to see this?” Lucy asked accusatorily. “I don’t know what she was thinking leaving you in charge of me. Maybe she thought you’d have changed by now but clearly you haven’t.”

“That’s enough,” the Contessa repeated. She sounded weaker this time, almost tired.

But Lucy was just getting started. It was as if the lid had been opened and all her emotions could finally be free. “You act like you’re worried about the effect your ‘job’ could have, and yet you keep doing it anyways! You only care about yourself!”

“Lucia-“

“And you try to control me like a puppet! You can’t force me to be like you!” Lucy was shouting now, fists clenched at her sides and a fire in her eyes. “I’m not allowed to leave the house, or go to school, or have friends, and I’m sick of it! You can’t keep me locked up in here all my life!”

“WHY CAN’T YOU JUST TRUST ME? I ONLY WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU, OLIVIA!”

Silence.

Lucy had opened her mouth to retaliate but stopped. Her grandmother’s words bounced around her head for a moment and her expression became confused. While she had never heard the Contessa yell like that before, it was what she said that threw Lucy off guard rather than how she said it.The quiet stretched on until at last she managed to get out an “um?” 

The Contessa was still staring in fury until her own words settled in. All at once she seemed to deflate and her face went blank. “’Lucia’. I meant… to say ‘Lucia.’” Her tone was calm now, almost robotic. She turned her back towards her granddaughter and walked slowly to the door. “Go, then, if you want.” She left, leaving Lucy alone in the room’s sudden silence.

~~~~~~~

An hour had passed since the argument. The Contessa sat out on the patio, staring out at nothing and wondering where it all went wrong. And how it was continuing to all go wrong. How it seemed that no matter what she did, she was doomed to repeat the past.

She heard the door open and footsteps making their way towards her, then the creak of someone sitting in a chair a few feet away.

A few minutes went by with the sound being birds chirping in the garden until the Contessa finally spoke, her voice dull and plain.

“You’re back early.”

Lucy took the band from her hair and shook it free. “Didn’t go.”

The Contessa gave a grunt in acknowledgment and another few minutes of quiet passed.

Putting her hair back up in a ponytail, Lucy stared at the ground and cleared her throat. “Mum didn’t like the rules either then.” It came out as more of a statement than a question.

“No, she did not,” the Contessa answered anyways. “And she had a lot less.” She sighed and then stated firmly, “I have already lost a daughter, I am not going to lose a granddaughter too.”

Lucy nodded, although her grandmother likely couldn’t see as they had still not looked at each other once. This was an acceptable explanation, at least for today. She could wait a few more days before bringing it up again, in a calm conversation next time; perhaps then her grandmother would be more receptive to relaxing certain rules. Lucy felt that the Contessa still had much to answer for, but maybe that would have to wait. Until Lucy was older. Until she had the right questions. Until the Contessa was ready to own up to her actions.

But for today? Maybe this was enough of an understanding. Maybe it was enough to argue, and to forgive without words. Words could come later, when they were both ready. For now, it was enough to sit near each other and listen to the birds, looking forward to the new day tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by the line from the Steven Universe episode "Sworn to the Sword," where Pearl is arguing with Steven and says something like "Why won't you let me do this for you, Rose?!" I've always thought WOW what a great line!!  
> And I think there is a 100% chance the Contessa would slip and call Lucy by her mom's name at least like, twice.  
> ALSO "Prisoner is a harsh word" is what she said to Wing in the first book when introducing them to HIVE!


	22. Matchmaker, Matchmaker?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Contessa keeps missing the point, but hey, she's trying.  
> I had a hard time thinking of a title for this one, then I remembered the Matchmaker song from Fiddler on the Roof, so that's what I went with, haha

“You know, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about what you said.” The Contessa sat up straighter in her armchair and flashed one of those fake, well-practiced smiles.

Lucy was immediately nervous as to where this was going. She was resting by the open window and watching the birds flittering about the birdbath. Slowly she turned so she was facing the older woman and, trying to sound unbothered, inquired, “About what?”

“About not having friends. How you don’t have anyone else to talk to, or ‘hang out’ with,” the Contessa explained, using air quotes.

_Oh boy. This isn’t going to be good_ , Lucy thought, imagining her grandmother inviting over her ‘coworkers’ and having Lucy chat with a group of sixty- or seventy-something evildoers. _Either that or she’s going to hire someone to pretend to be my friend and not tell me._

“And, you see, I know a great many people that are trustworthy enough, some I even used to work with way back when I was young,” she continued.

_Uh oh_. _I’m not so sure we operate under the same definition of ‘trustworthy.’_

“Many of them have grandchildren as well, or other young relatives about your age. I thought that perhaps I could introduce you to a nice young man, hmm?” The Contessa crossed her legs and clasped her hands at her knee, staring expectantly with that grin still on her face.

Lucy blinked a few times, processing the implication of the words. _She’s trying to… set me up?_ _Oh God_. Yes, Lucy was practically desperate to talk to anyone outside of this house, but there were multiple problems with this. She didn’t want to jump into a relationship with someone she didn’t even know. Especially someone that her grandmother approved of – what kind of person would that be? She almost groaned out loud as she imagined another uppity villainous family strutting in with some troublemaking teen her age demanding that they – _I don’t know, rob banks or blow up the moon together?_ Whatever. She still wasn’t completely sure what kind of schemes people like her grandmother pulled, and honestly, she didn’t want to know.

Anyways, the thought of her grandmother setting her up on some blind date was worse enough, and Lucy shook her head. “Oh, no. No thanks, I’m definitely not interested,” she said, politely and firmly.

“Ah. I see.” The Contessa frowned, thought for a moment, then smiled again. “I can introduce you to a nice young lady, then?”

“That’s not what I meant, but thank you.” Lucy leaned back against the window frame and glanced outside. “I just want _friends_ , not a date. Regular, good people, that I can talk to, and see a movie with, or walk around with at the mall.” Saying it out loud reminded her of her old friends from school and she felt a twinge of sadness. Her grandmother started talking again, explaining why it wouldn’t be the best idea to be out and about and befriending people they knew nothing about, but Lucy didn’t want to hear excuses and zoned out. Until a thought popped in her head and she turned back around with a mischievous grin.

“What about you?”

The Contessa stopped midsentence and furrowed her brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Are any of these guys you know your age? Any older gentlemen who like long walks on the beach and pickpocketing rich people?” Lucy teased.

Her grandmother scrunched up her nose and scoffed in disgust. “No one as small time as a simple pickpocketer could make their way into our organization. We have infinitely more flair and ambition than that.”

“Fine, are their any men who build death rays and kidnap entire countries, but would also buy you flowers?”

The Contessa finally started to look uncomfortable at the conversation and shook her head with a sigh. “Alright, you’ve made your point. You don’t like the idea and you are throwing it back at me so I see how unpleasant it is. I won’t bring the subject up again.” She held up her hands in mock surrender.

“See if any of those kids have a single grandfather,” Lucy continued to joke, “and we can double date. Go to dinner and then steal the Declaration of Independence.”

“I understand, Lucia,” she said, letting out a small laugh despite trying not to. “You aren’t interested in a date. Forget I suggested it.”

Lucy giggled, then looked her directly in the eye. Her expression had suddenly turned serious. She needed to be more assertive about what she wanted and show that she was willing to compromise. “I really do miss having friends. Is there any way at all I could go out more and talk to others my age? I could take bodyguards. Please?”

As blank and unreadable as a stone, the Contessa gazed back. Her mouth opened, then closed. At last, she replied, “I… will consider it.”

Lucy nodded, satisfied. Anything besides a stern ‘no’ was progress. “Thank you.” The Contessa nodded back with the smallest hint of a smile.

She tilted her head to the side and tapped her fingers on her knee. “You know, that stealing the Declaration idea has promise to it,” she admitted thoughtfully. “How could we go about doing that…”

“Wha- no, Grandmother, that was a joke. You see, there’s this movie-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Nicholas Cage voice* I'm gonna steal the Overlord Protocol


	23. Movie Night, aka (Inter)national Treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> spocks-evil-godmother wanted me to follow up with the Contessa's opinion on National Treasure, so of course I watched it again and took notes on what I thought she would think. Man, that's a great movie.

“What is this about again?” the Contessa called from the other room.

Lucy slipped the disc in the DVD player and grabbed the remote. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but basically the main characters are looking for a treasure, and they need to steal the Declaration of Independence to get it.” She flopped back onto the couch, far too old and ornate to be cozy, and shifted around until she was moderately comfortable.

“How on earth does that help them accomplish anything?” 

She sighed, fast forwarding through the previews to the menu. “I just said I don’t want to tell you anything yet, but… there’s a treasure map on the back of it.”

The Contessa entered at last holding a large silver tray. “That’s preposterous,” she said bluntly.

“It’s a movie, it’s supposed to be fun,” Lucy retorted. She was beginning to half regret suggesting they have a weekly movie night. It sounded harmless at first, an easy way for them to spend time together, but now she couldn’t help but wonder if her grandmother would find none of the films entertaining and make snarky comments the entire time.

As if to confirm these thoughts, the older woman harrumphed “We’ll see” as she set the tray on the coffee table and took a seat beside her granddaughter.

Lucy began to respond but was quickly distracted by the sight of the colorful pastries now set in front of her. “Uh, what are those?”

“What do they look like,” was the brusque response.

“I mean, what kind of movie snack is that? What about popcorn?”

The Contessa shrugged one shoulder. “You requested I bring a treat. I did. I fail to see what difference it makes that I chose this.”

Lucy groaned overdramatically and tossed her head back. “You have _a lot_ to learn about movie nights.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” she jokingly agreed. They pressed play and began to watch.

~~~~~~~

“Riddles? How charming.”

“I’m glad you think so, because that’s basically the whole movie.” Lucy reached out for one of the pastries; while they weren’t what she thought of as a movie snack, they were delicious nonetheless.

The Contessa hummed thoughtfully. “I like this Ian character.”

“But grandmother, he’s the bad guy.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how silly they sounded considering who she was speaking to, which was further made clear as the Contessa gave her a look that could only be described as, ‘duh.’

“Well, I’d hire him,” was all she said.

~~~~~~~

“You ever see an invisible map?” Lucy joked, nudging the Contessa with an elbow.

“Only once,” she replied casually.

Lucy stared at her for a moment. “I… can’t tell you’re kidding or not.”

Eyes never leaving the television, she only smirked in response.

~~~~~~~

A character in the film began to detail the numerous and nigh impenetrable security measures surrounding the Declaration and how stealing it would be practically impossible.

“Eh, that’s nothing,” the Contessa said with a wave of her hand.

“Uh, really?”

“Not for the people I know, no.” She took a snack off the tray, which was now half empty, despite Lucy’s initial complaints on having them. “It would be fun to go undercover like they’re doing though, to a gala. I wouldn’t mind doing that again.”

“ _Again_?” Lucy exclaimed. “You mean you’ve done it _before_?”

“Quiet down, I can’t hear.”

~~~~~~

“Sloppy, but effective,” the Contessa muttered to herself as she watched the antagonists break past security with brute force, knocking guards unconscious and blowing through walls. “Now _this_ method has a certain elegance to it,” she continued, complimenting various aspects of the protagonists’ hacking skills as Lucy listened in mild interest.

“I think you’re analyzing this more than we’re supposed to,” she laughed.

~~~~~~~

When the credits began rolling, Lucy picked up the remote and switched off the television. “So, what did you think? Great movie, isn’t it?”

“Oh yes, very entertaining. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.”

“The real question is, what did you think of the villain? Or actually, what would you have done in his place?” While she still hesitated to encourage any evildoings, Lucy had to admit she was curious in this case.

“Well, I would have gone about it in a completely different way, actually.” Her tone became that of a lecturer. “Why bother going on a treasure hunt in the first place when you could have simply waited until it was found and then stolen it? Being the one to take it as opposed to the one that rediscovered it has much more flair. Think about it, the greatest treasure known to man is found again after all these centuries and distributed to museums around the world. And then, all in the same night, in a series of heists all orchestrated by one person, every single piece of it is taken once more. Now that would bring far more glory and mystique to someone, would it not?”

Lucy blinked. “Oh. Well, yeah, I guess. That would be pretty impressive.” She tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and shifted around again, her back hurting from sitting on the hard couch for so long. “Thank you for watching it with me, by the way. I had fun.”

The Contessa smiled at her. “This was a delightful idea; I look forward to the next movie night.”

“Me too.” Lucy smiled back. She reached out for the last pastry and split it in two, handing half to her grandmother. “Let’s get real movie snacks next time, though.”


	24. First Day of Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m exhausted but I don’t want to fall (hehe, ‘fall’) behind on the *first day* of Fantober, so I’m writing this rn super quick, so I hope it’s,,, okay. (Also I’m on mobile so I’ll fix any formatting issues tomorrow)
> 
> Fantober 2020 Day 1 prompt: First Day of Fall

It was early in the afternoon, on one of those lazy days where practically the only thing one can accomplish is relaxing around the house. The two Sinistre women were doing just that, The Contessa seated in a tall and sturdy armchair working on a crossword puzzle, and Lucy over at the windowsill, head resting in her arms as she watched the birds fly by. A large crow flapped into the branches of a tree whose leaves were just beginning to turn into bright reds and oranges.

“Oh!” Lucy exclaimed suddenly, bolting up with wide eyes. “I just realized, it’s the first day of autumn!”

“No it isn’t,” her grandmother bluntly retorted. “That was last week. Today is the first of October.”

“Maybe it _technically_ isn’t the first day, but the beginning of October marks the beginning of the whole autumn _mood_.” She crossed over to the matching armchair and sat down, leaning over the end table with a determined look. “The _feeling_ of the season. Not only does it mean Halloween is coming up, but it ma-“

”Oh, spare me the lecture about the pumpkins and the hayrides and whatever other festivities you think are so crucial to this time of year,” the Contessa interrupted. She shook her head and scribbled another answer down on the crossword. “You know I don’t participate in such things. I find it all unnecessary.”

The younger girl shrunk back. “Right. No, I should’ve known. You don’t exactly strike me as the type of person to get pumpkin spiced lattes and go apple picking.”

Deflated from being cut short on her happy speech about fall and the sudden scolding, Lucy rose and made her way back to the window. She crossed her arms on the windowsill and lay her head back down, and although she was in the same position that she had been in while relaxing, she now appeared melancholy, staring down at nothing rather than out at the marvelous view.   
  


The Contessa noticed right away and immediately pretended she had not. She turned her attention back to the crossword, filling in a few more answers and tapping her pencil to the paper. The only other noise in the room was the clock ticking on.   
  


A few minutes had passed and the only thing she had done was draw a small line back and forth along the paper, so thick it almost ripped through. She cursed herself for that distracting guilty feeling - _when did I get so weak?_ \- and tried her best to use a kind, light tone. 

“If you would like, I could have someone rake up some leaves.”

Lucy half-turned and raised an eyebrow in confusion.   
  


“Into a pile.”   
  


Still, confusion.   
  


“You know, so you may jump in them?” The Contessa finished weakly. “That is a quintessential autumnal activity, is it not?”

Lucy snorted out a laugh before she could stop herself. “Actually, you know what? I think I’d like that.”


	25. First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fantober day 8: first meeting
> 
> Did a lil drawing of this on tumblr earlier in the month: https://vulpix-sinistre.tumblr.com/post/631446969442762752/fantober-day-8-first-meeting-i-do-have-a-fic

It was chilly out, even more so thanks to the light rain. It started gently, almost mist-like, and was just now starting to pick up a bit. Lucy hardly noticed. 

The funeral had been a blur. She couldn’t recall the faces of those who attended, besides her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Flaversham, who had brought her there. She stared straight ahead at the tall bouquets of flowers people had kindly sent; roses, calla lilies, carnations. Anything to keep from looking at  _ that box _ up there and acknowledging again that it was her mother inside. 

The service at the gravesite had been brief. A quick prayer, rushed at the end as the rain became more than a drizzle. People began to leave, most ignoring her, some giving her a pat on the head or expressing their sympathies once more. 

And then her mother was lowered into the ground. 

Blankly, Lucy watched until the coffin disappeared out of sight. Dirt was shoveled into the hole, and as the thumps echoed out across the silent field, she tightened her grip on the single rose clenched in her fist. One by one, the mourners cleared out until only her and Mrs. Flaversham remained. 

An arm wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her close. “How are you holding up, dearie?”

Lucy couldn’t answer. 

Mrs. Flaversham patted her arm and hummed sympathetically. “I know, I know. It’ll get easier, I promise.” Lucy didn’t see how that could be possible. Her mother was dead. Gone. She would never get to see her smile or laugh, or hug her, or sit down with a nice cup of tea and chat about anything and everything, ever again. How was that supposed to get easier?

“I’ll give you a moment alone. And then we’ll go on home, hmm?” Another reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and then she turned to hobble away. Mrs. Flaversham had offered to take care of Lucy now, since there was no one else to. Lucy was fine with this. The old lady had always been warm and kind to the Dexters, welcoming them over for dinner and helping around the house if needed. She would pick up Lucy from school on occasion and they would sit in her house eating desserts until Mrs. Dexter returned from work. She was a sweet, grandmotherly woman that cared for Lucy very much, but even so, she wasn’t Lucy’s mother. No one could ever replace her mother. 

The gravestone was already in place. Years before, when her father passed, Lucy’s mother had purchased a double headstone, her own name and birth date on the other half. How strange it had been to see the name of someone living carved solemnly into the stone. How strange it was now to see it still like that, waiting for the next day for someone to add in her death date. 

With a shaky breath, Lucy bent down to place the rose over her mother’s name. For a second she wondered if she should have brought a flower for her father too. She stood in the freshly upturned dirt, not caring if her shoes got muddy, and stared at the ground. Funny, wasn’t it? Both her parents were so close to her, and yet so, so far away. 

A noise from behind alerted her that she was no longer alone. She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, swiping away rain mixed with tears, and turned to tell Mrs. Flaversham she was ready to go. But to her surprise, it was not her neighbor that stood before her. 

She could see men wearing earpieces and some sort of high tech body armor posted over by the church, behind the trees, by the ominous black car parked at the curb. Two of them flanked the woman standing straight in front of her a few lengths away. This woman was perhaps scarier than all the men combined. Her long, black, old fashioned dress reached all the way to the wet grass. The sleeves were puffed, the skirt’s fabric draped elegantly in bunches. And those hands, pale spindly fingers with pointed nails, clasped around a wide dark umbrella that covered her face. When she raised it up over her eyes, Lucy could see a single flash of glass before taking in the rest of her face. Red lips turned down in a stiff frown. Cold, gray eyes boring directly into Lucy. 

Lucy froze in place at this woman’s sinister aura. Who are you? What do you want with me? were questions she was desperate to ask but couldn’t seem to get out. Her fist balled into the puffy skirt of her mourning dress and she thought that perhaps she should make a run for the church. 

The woman smiled, but it didn’t look friendly. It was more of a smirk, as if to say ‘I am calling the shots now and there is nothing you can do about it.’ She didn’t move, only glanced at Lucy up and down. Finally, she spoke. 

“Hello, Lucia. It’s time for you to come with me.”


	26. Moving In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fantober day 13: moving in
> 
> Ayyy look at me catching up on prompts

“Woah.”   
  


Lucy involuntarily whispered in awe as the house came into view. No, not a house - a mansion. Bigger than any building she’d ever seen before. How many floors, how many rooms, how long was it? It seemed to go on forever. And this was where she would live now. 

The woman she now knew to be her grandmother sat beside her. She was to be Lucy’s guardian, although Lucy was rather apprehensive to get to know her, considering all the tales she had heard from her mother. Her grandmother glanced at her out of the corner of her eye with a blank expression, noticing the way Lucy was gawking at the estate.

“Welcome home,” she said wryly. 

The car slowed down the driveway, passing a large marble fountain and lines of perfectly manicured bushes. It reached the polished staircase leading up to the front entryway and as soon as it stopped, a man Lucy could only assume to be a butler popped the door open for them. He bowed his head slightly and said something to her grandmother in Italian, which she responded to in a demanding tone while stepping out of the car. He scurried over to the trunk and began unloading it. 

“I’ll have your suitcases brought in. Come, let me show you around.” With that, she strutted up the stairs and snapped her fingers to indicate that someone should open the door for her. 

Helplessly, Lucy scrambled out after her. “Oh! Wait!” She turned back abruptly and grabbed one of her bags that sat on the ground, clutching it to her chest as she hurried up the stairs to her impatiently waiting grandmother. 

The foyer took her breath away, although not exactly for a good reason. Everything from the furniture to the grand staircases to the walls and floor looked ornate and expensive. Beautiful and old, but almost staged. Nothing looked like  _ home _ to her. It felt as if she had stepped into the set of a film. 

And this was where she had to live now. 

Her grandmother had just begun to explain the layout of the house when a ringing noise sounded out from her pocket. Frowning, she pulled out a strange looking device that Lucy hadn’t seen anything like before, and sighed. 

“I have to take this. It should only be a moment. Follow them to your bedroom and tell them where to unpack everything, and I’ll be with you when I can.” And with that, she disappeared somewhere in the house. 

Lucy watched a line of butlers and maids walking through with her suitcases and boxes. Her whole life in England, packed up and moved here. 

She didn’t follow. Once they were all out of sight, she unzipped her bag and pulled out one of the pictures of her mother. 

“I miss you so much,” she quietly told the photo. Even with her voice practically at a whisper it still echoed throughout the vast, empty room. She had never felt more alone than she did at that moment, standing in the doorway of her new life. 


	27. C U L8R Allig8r

**Grandmother**

**Message received 11:24**

Hello Lucia it is me

yeah I know I have your number saved

Ok

What are you doing?

homework. what r u doing

Don’t write like that

Spell correctly

this is how ppl text

What?

What does that mean?

Never mind. Is this better

Almost

Omg

What is that?

Nothing, sorry. What are you doing

I am messaging you

Ha ha ha

You can type lol, it means laughing out loud

I was not

......

Have you ever texted before

No

But I have emailed

Ok well you don’t need to type proper sentences in a text 

Why not?

That would look ridiculous

**11:31**

Hello?

Answer me

I’m doing hw

*homework

Good go do your homework then

I’m trying?????

Too many question marks

Only use one

  
  


**11:38**

Hello?

  
  


**11:40**

Never mind keep working

**12:28**

Lunch is ready

Come down

Omw

  
Stop doing those letters 

I don’t like it

What does that one mean?

On my way

Don’t avoid the question

Wait

I understand now

**15:47**

hey is it okay if I go into town? See a movie or smth

Absolutely!

Absolutely!

Great thanks :)

Absolutely!

Wait

I am not typing that

I am writing Absolutely! but it changes it

How this happening

So I can go

Absolutely!

Lucia

I forbid it

What is happening to my phone?

Lol

I changed your autocorrect to switch No with Absolutely

Pretty funny joke huh??

Absolutely!

Help me

**17:02**

Is the WiFi down? My phone won’t connect to lots of sites

I had many websites and applications blocked 

Seriously???

Yes

I don’t want you doing a Facebook 

I wasn’t going to…

You can play Candy Crush

That is allowed

See if you can beat more levels than me

Uhh??

What level are you on

Level 528

It is hard

Omg but we just got these phones yesterday???

Did you play all night??

**17:06**

You did didn’t you

None of your business 

Wooooow

**20:31**

Look at this picture

What picture

The one I just sent

There’s nothing there

How about now?

No..

Do you see anything yet?

Still no..

Ok

Come here and look at it

What is it

Come here and find out

Ugh fine omw

I still don’t like that

On my way!

Better

Hurry up 

Very funny picture

**22:02**

Good night

See you tomorrow

C u l8r allig8r

In a while crocodile

Lol!!

Good night :)

**Message** **received 00:56**

I just realized that is supposed to look like a smiling face

Very clever!

=) this looks like one as well

I passed level 600

**08:10**

Omg…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m on level 6057 of Candy Crush


	28. Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mental health, panic attack

Thoughts can be such nasty things. Popping up unexpectedly, remaining even when unwanted. Like a stain on your favorite shirt that just won’t come out, or a persistent whisper that keeps you awake at night. The bad thoughts always seemed to snowball, too; one reminding you of another, and that one leading to the next. 

The thoughts started to nag at Lucy, creeping again and again into her mind. They flickered into her brain out of nowhere. Her smile would drop and that sad feeling would echo itself in her head. Dealing with it would involve digging deeper into it first, and that was too unpleasant. So she buried them, tossing them aside by grabbing a book or turning on the television, anything that could be a distraction. 

But after a while, the thoughts couldn’t be brushed aside. She was a cup that kept being filled, finally beginning to overflow. 

It started, again, with that reminder that her mother was dead. Dwelling on that led to memories of her father and how he, too, was gone forever. The thoughts latched on and sunk in. She could feel tears beginning to prick at her eyes. 

Spiral. It was a terrible spiral. You remember something that upsets you? Well here, something else equally distressing! And you hadn’t forgotten that other time you cried, did you? Recall that situation where you said the wrong thing, that certain awkward conversation, the moment you did something wrong. Every mistake, each little event that hurt you, all the words left unsaid, and ‘forgive and forget’ circumstances that you’ve neither forgotten nor let yourself forgive. 

All these thoughts spiraled inside of Lucy around and around. Her breathing was getting heavy, her heart rate going up. Her hands tangled in her hair and she pulled, as if to rip the thoughts out. “Stop. Stop!” she whimpered. The tears were coming now. She didn’t want them to. Didn’t want to acknowledge these feelings. Didn’t want to be sad. 

_ You’re alone, you know  _

_ Remember that awful time when- _

_ -and there’s nothing you can do to fix it _

_ No one likes you _

_ Remember how scared you were when- _

_ You’re a freak _

_ -then they started yelling at you _

_ Something bad could happen any moment  _

“No-o-o.” She let out a sob and fell to her knees, scooting backwards until she met the wall, and fell back against it. 

_ Something bad- _

_ Why did you do that? _

_ Your fault _

_ You shouldn’t have done that _

_ Could’ve fixed it _

_ Your fault _

_ Shouldn’t have said that _

_ Too late now _

_ You’re in trouble _

_ Remember the day when- _

A noise escaped her, halfway between a scream and a cry. She was wailing now, every horrible memory and feeling rushing at her at once. Each painful thought unlocked another, things she’d tried to forget ever since they happened. How awful it was to face your own negative emotions. 

Lucy kept crying. Loud, long howls and choked breathing. She couldn’t believe these sounds coming from her, and the pure despair they carried. You’d think this was the worst thing to happen to anyone- but it wasn’t, and she knew that, so why should she be so sad? An extra layer of guilt slapped on top of everything else. 

She couldn’t hear her name being called at first. 

“Lucia? Lucia, what’s wrong? What’s happening?” Her grandmother was there, kneeling at her side. The Contessa pried her hands away - Lucy had been digging her nails into her own forearms, leaving little crescent-shaped marks, when had that happened? - and tilted her head up. “Please, calm down. Breathe.”

Lucy fell into her grandmother’s arms, resting on her chest. She still sobbed. 

“Shh, shh, it’s okay.”

She tried to breathe. It came out rapidly, choppy; harsh “haaah, haaah” sounds that made her feel dizzy. Her hands shook and she wished she could just curl up into a ball. 

“Come on, breathe. Slower. That’s right, just breathe.”

It took a few minutes to get control. Slowly, Lucy took deeper and deeper breaths, shuddering occasionally, but calming down. She focused on the ‘in, out, in, out’ rhythm of air whooshing through her lungs and the feeling of fingers brushing through her hair. 

The two Sinistres sat on the floor of Lucy’s dimly lit room, holding each other tightly. 

“T-thank y-you,” she finally managed to stutter out. 

“What was that?”

“T-thanks. F-for using The Voice-e to make me c-calm down.” The thought of being hypnotized using her family’s ‘gift’ would have horrified her at any other moment, but for now Lucy was just grateful to not be crying anymore. 

The Contessa’s hand paused briefly through Lucy’s hair. “I didn’t,” she said, confused. 

“Oh.” 

_ It was just a thought. Only a thought. You are not alone. You are strong.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought writing this would help in some sort of way. Felt kind of good.


	29. Snippets of Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all to celebrate!!

“It’s enormous.” Lucy stared wide eyed and mouth agape as the biggest Christmas tree she’d ever seen was being set up in the estate’s grand entryway. In its completely raised position it almost brushed against the high ceiling. “How are we supposed to decorate that? It’ll take days.” She was already calculating the amount of lights, ornaments, and tinsel it would take, and it added up fast. 

She turned back to her grandmother, standing there, arms crossed, observing the process like a guard watches over prisoners. “You were going to make a maid do it weren’t you?”

“Please, look at the size of it. That’s at least a three maid job.”

She rolled her eyes, not even surprised anymore. “I want my own tree for my room then. A big round one, not some thin pencil tree.”

“Mmhmm.”

“No funny looking artsy ornaments either. I want the classic ball shaped ones and- and cute ones, like a bear in a sweater, or a skiing Santa, or the Heat Miser.”

The Contessa, apparently not interested, pulled out that strange black phone again and scrolled through it. “Definitely, of course.”

“So much tinsel that it gets everywhere and I still find it on my rug during Easter.” 

“Mhm.”

“I don’t want a star either! The only thing that’s going on the top of my tree is-“

“An angel.” Maria looked at her as if Lucy had asked a ridiculous question. “Obviously.”

“Oh. Yes. I’m glad you agree.” 

The tree now in place with the branches fluffed, it made for a magnificent sight. 

Lucy hummed appreciatively. “You’re going to have colorful lights put on it, right?”

“White. This isn’t a carnival.”

*****

In a bad need of more caffeine, Maria made her way to the kitchen for yet another cup of coffee. Her granddaughter sat, legs crossed, at the kitchen table; she nodded in greeting as she passed by. 

“Another one of your Christmas traditions?”

“That’s right.” 

The coffee was brewed to the tune of the Christmas carols played over the battery powered radio. She brought her full mug over to the table and took a big gulp as she sat, smacking her lips with a satisfied ‘ahh.’ 

Two trays lay before the young girl, one of fresh, plain gingerbread men and the other, ones that had already been decorated. Lucy was prepared with bowls of all sorts of candies, sprinkle shakers, and frosting. Currently she was holding an icing bag and spreading the sweet substance over the legs of one gingerbread man to give him pants. 

  
  


“I never liked the taste of these,” Maria commented idly, straightening the decorated cookies into neat rows. 

“Me either,” Lucy laughed. Gently she placed mini chocolate chips onto the fresh frosting to add a polka dot design. “And they’re always too tough.”

“Why do you make them then?”

“Because it’s fun! And..” Her hand froze on its way to the bowl of gumdrops and her smile slipped away at the realization. “Well, I guess because mum liked them. I would decorate, and she would eat them.”

The happy tradition seemed almost pointless now, the tray of smiling, smartly dressed gingerbread men no longer holding any purpose here. 

“Hmm.” Maria drummed her long fingernails on the table a few times before snatching up a cookie with a red and white striped icing dress and hair made from marshmallows. With one swift bite its arm was gone, and she rose from the table and moved to leave from the way she came. 

“I must return to work now,” she spoke through a mouthful of crumbs, “Don’t spoil your appetite with all those sweets.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lucy called after her retreating figure. She giggled to herself and reached for another plain cookie. 

*****

“Look,” Maria sighed, resting her forehead on her clasped hands, elbows propped on the desk. “There is no easy way to approach this. I’ve been wondering how to go about it for a while, and it seems the best option is to simply ‘come right out with it,’ if you will.”

She opened one eye to stare at Lucy, who sat at the other side of the desk, more than a little nervous. 

“Tell me, dear… Santa Claus…”

“I already know he’s not real, Grandmother.”

“Thank God,” she sighed, leaning back. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, and I definitely didn’t want to have to pretend.”

“What if I had written Santa a letter? What would you have done?”

“I don’t know - written you back? Is that what happens?”


End file.
